Rowers to watch at the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships

For some, it will be the first taste of racing on the international circuit. For others, it will be a second opportunity this season to race on Lago di Varese. The best Under 19 rowers of the world will meet in Italy for the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships, starting wednesday. Here are some of the names to watch out for.

The men’s and women’s single sculls are often the opportunity for young, talented athletes to shine. The Under 19 men’s single sculls sees the biggest entry across the board and with 29 nations represented, it will certainly be competitive. All eyes will be on Great Britain’s Marcus Chute, winner of the European Under 19 Championships earlier this season in Varese. He will have to contend with some European countries that typically field strong junior rowers like Belgium’s Boris Taeldeman and France’s Pierre Molins, on the podium with Chute in early may.

In the Under 19 women’s single sculls there are a few returning athletes such as Switzerland’s Lina Kuehn, who won gold in the quadruple sculls at the Junior World Championships last year. Watch out too for Greece’s Aikaterini Gkogkou who won the European Under 19 championships earlier this year in the women’s single. And keep an eye on Italy’s Aurora Spirito – she was on the podium in Varese earlier this season and she will be racing on home waters.

The Under 19 women’s double sculls will see 22 crews competing. The Dutch duo of Lotta van Westreenen, reigning Junior World Champion, and Anna Menke is, on paper, the crew to beat. But the Greeks won that boat class by ten seconds at the European Under 19 championships, and the combination of Styliani Natsioula and Sofia Dalidou is hungry for more. The Dutch and the Greeks will have to watch out for some historically quick crews such as Lithuania, Germany and Ireland.

The Under 19 men’s double sculls has 27 entries and while the majority of the athletes will be making their international debut, The Polish duo of Piotr Sliwinski and Daniel Galeza is one of the most experienced of the field, and they might just slot into the top spot. They will have to watch out for strong performances from Italy, France and Croatia. Keep an eye too on Turkey : they have been on the rise since last year and the combination of Ahmet Ali Kabadayi and Halil Kaan Koroglu is coming off a gold medal at the European event. A sign of things to come ?

The Under 19 men’s pair is likely to be a battle between Italy’s Marco and Luca Vicino, World Champions in the Coxed Four last year, and Romania’s Andrei-Vlad-Robert Vatamaniuc and Iliuta-Leontin Nutescu, the latter being the reigning World Champion in that boat class. The Under 19 women’s pair is more open, but the Chileans, historically strong in the pair, may have the upper hand, with Magdalena Nannig Rojas, silver medallist last year in Plovdiv. Greece and Italy are likely to be their toughest opponents.

In the Under 19 women’s coxed four, the five-boat race will see the USA, Italy and Germany, the podium from the World championships last year, have another crack at a gold medal. And keep an eye too on Turkey in the Under 19 men’s coxed four. They have one returning athlete from the 2021 event and have a pedigree in this boat class.

From the coxed four to the coxless four – and the heavy favourites in the Under 19 men’s four have to Romania, returning three members of the boat that finished sixth in last year’s A-Final – but went on to win gold at the 2021 European Under 19 championships in the Eight. Spain are the defending world champions but are coming with a brand new combination, as well as New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain and Canada.

The Under 19 women’s four will see the United States returning two gold medallists from last year (in the eight and the coxed four) facing France, returning two silver medallists from the women’s four. Italy, on home waters, and Romania, will also be in the mix for a podium spot.

In the absence of the reigning World Champions of Switzerland, and the majority of athletes making their international debut, the Under 19 women’s quadruple sculls is wide open. Romania and Poland were separated by only 0,18 seconds at the 2022 European Under 19 championships and both crews are unchanged. The Under 19 men’s quadruple sculls will see 16 crews competing and all eyes will be on Czech Republic, always very strong in that event and returning their European Under 19 golden combination. Watch out too for Italy and Germany, as well as New Zealand and Australia.

The event will culminate with the eights. The Under 19 men’s eight has ten entries and a fresh field of young sweep rowers. In 2021 it was United States, Germany and Russia who found a spot on the podium – and the Americans are returning three members of their gold medal crew from last year. Great Britain and Australia are back in mix and France and Italy have international experience in their boats. Add Ukraine, who got a silver medal earlier this season at the European Under 19 championships and you have all the ingredients for a real showdown.

The Under 19 women’s eight will feature eleven entries – which include the defending champions from the United States, returning three gold medallists from Plovdiv 2021. Who can challenge them? Maybe the Germans, having four rowers who medalled last year at the European Under 19 championships? Or the Romanians, on the podium last year in Plovdiv and winners earlier this season in Varese?