13 Jun 2023
Rowers to watch at the 2023 World Rowing Cup II in Varese
The 2023 international rowing season continues in Varese, Italy, with the 2023 World Rowing Cup II. Nearly 650 rowers from 42 nations will send crews to the regatta, including large entries from China and the USA.
World Rowing Cup Boat Classes
Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Switzerland
The lightweight men’s double sculls category has 17 entries, including double entries from Belgium, China, Italy, and Switzerland. The Swiss crew has been looking potent, with Jan Schaeuble and Raphael Ahumada Ireland in good form, having won gold during both the World Rowing Cup I and European Rowing Championships this season. Italy’s Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares, who came second at the European Championships could be their chief rival.
Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Switzerland
Eighteen boats compete in the lightweight women’s double sculls, containing some eye-catching Olympians. France’s Tokyo Olympic silver medallists Laura Tarantola and Claire Bove will be looking to recoup their former form, as would fellow Tokyo Olympic finalists Molly Reckford and Michelle Sechser from the USA. Great Britain’s Emily Craig and Imogen Grant will have confidence as recently crowned European Rowing Champions, with Switzerland’s Patricia Merz and Frederique Rol as the winners of World Rowing Cup I also looking for honours.
Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Germany
The men’s single sculls feature the most entries with 38 athletes, 13 more than at the 2023 World Rowing Cup I. Germany’s Oliver Zeidler was the winner of the World Rowing Cup I will be looking to maintain his strong form, while Denmark’s Tokyo Olympian Sverri Nielsen will be looking for a podium finish after missing out on a medal at the 2023 European Rowing Championships.
Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Spain
Virginia Dias Rivas from Spain will be looking to repeat her success from the 2023 World Rowing Cup I, where she finished on the top of the podium after a photo finish. Virginia will be part of a field of 24 entries, including the USA’s experienced 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist in the W4x, Kara Kohler. The 2022 World Rowing Championship bronze medallist, Tara Rigney from Australia will also feature. China’s two scullers include Ruiqi Liu, aged 16, the youngest competitor in this boat class.
Men’s Pair (M2-)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Switzerland
Great Britain’s Tom George hopes his good luck streak in Varese will continue, having won gold at the 2021 European Championships there in the men’s eight. Now in the men’s pair with teammate Oliver Wynne-Griffith, they look to build on from coming a narrow second in the European Rowing Championships to the Swiss pair of Roman Roeoesli and Andrin Gulich. The formidable Swiss outfit is also in this field, setting up a potential rematch.
Women’s Pair (W2-)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Spain
The World Rowing Cup Leaders in this boat class are Spain’s Aina Cid and Esther Briz Zamorano. They will surely be looking for the podium once again, but will face tough competition. The United States have two crews entered, with the USA1 featuring two time Olympic Champion and five time World Champion Meghan Musnicki. Anabelle McIntyre and Jessica Morrison of Australia are the 2019 World silver medallists in this boat class, as well as Olympic Champions in the women’s four, and will be rowing together again for the first time since Tokyo.
Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Croatia
Twenty-one crews will be rowing in the men’s double sculls, with both China and Italy fielding two crews. China’s Zhiyu Liu and Liang Zhang, as Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists, will be a significant presence, as will the Italian double of Rambaldi and Sartori, 2023 European silver medallists.
Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Switzerland
Margaux Bailleul and Emma Lunatti of France might be the names that jump off the page in this boat class, after their fourth place finish at the recent European Rowing Championships in Bled, but they have yet to face competition from many of the international crews this season. Australia, Canada, China, and the United States will testing their crews for the first time in 2023. Switzerland’s Celia Dupre will be in the second Swiss boat, after just returning from a successful year racing for Stanford in the United States.
Men’s Four (M4-)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Switzerland
The lineup in the men’s four features 16 boats, including two crews from Australia, China, France, Italy and Switzerland. Great Britain will come in with high confidence as European Champions, with European bronze medallists France seeking a re-row. Australia’s very experienced Tokyo Olympic winning crew will also compete and will be looking to show their mettle against their younger European rivals.
Women’s Four (W4-)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Chile
Like the men’s four, Great Britain will be the team to beat in the women’s four. They will be bringing two crews with plenty of experience, including the two-time Olympic Champion Helen Glover. Australia will hope to threaten and is bringing in two crews with experience, including three bronze medallists from the 2022 World Rowing Championships. Canada has entered two fours, both of which will be doubling up in the eight.
Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Czech Republic
The men’s quadruple sculls will have nine entries, including two boats from China. Poland’s European Rowing Championship winning crew will want to stamp their authority further, while Italy’s crew, who came third in Bled, could be their chief rival.
Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)
World Rowing Cup Leader: Ukraine
Amongst 12 entries, the Chinese quad as current Olympic Champions, will be coming into this World Rowing Cup as the hot favourites, having also won last year’s World Championships. Australia’s Olympic bronze medallist crew is also entered.
Men’s Eight (M8+)
This is the first time the men’s eight will be contested at the 2023 World Rowing Cup series, after having been absent in Zagreb. The fastest boat class features six crews: Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Great Britain. European Champions Great Britain coached by Steve Trapmore will be looking for a top performance to cement their reputation as the crew to beat. Australia are the silver medallists from last year’s World Rowing Championships. Germany and Italy, featuring crews from the A-final at the 2023 European Rowing Championships, will want to change that script.
Women’s Eight (W8+)
This is the first time the women’s eight will be contested at the 2023 World Rowing Cup series, after having been absent in Zagreb. With only three crews entered – Australia, Canada, and Great Britain, this will be a race to not be last. The standout crew might be Canada, who finished third at last year’s World Rowing Championships, and features four of their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champions from this boat class, including coxswain Kristen Kit.
International Boat Classes
Lightweight Men’s Single (LM1x)
There is a strong contingent of 17 entries for the lightweight men’s single sculls, with double entries from Algeria, Hong Kong, Italy and Switzerland. Andri Struzina from Switzerland comes in with form, medalling in World Rowing Cup I and the recent European Championships. Switzerland’s second boat in this boat class is Struzina’s younger brother, Gian. Niels Torre, the 2022 World Champion as part of Italy’s lightweight quadruple sculls outfit, should also be looking to progress far in this regatta. Slovakia’s Peter Strecansky, the youngest competitor in this category at just 17, has also shown early promise, reaching the A-final in the first World Rowing Cup in Zagreb.
Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)
Only two names from the 2023 World Rowing Cup I will be present in this boat class – Hong Kong’s Wing Wun Leung, and the Netherlands’ Tosca Kettler. Kettler finished in Zagreb with the silver medal, and will surely be looking to improve on that result. Leung is the 2022 Asian Rowing Championships silver medallist, and will be looking to make her mark on the world stage.
Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-)
With only four boats entered, this will be a race to not come last. Kalman Furko and Bence Szabo of Hungary are silver medallists from last year’s World Rowing Championships, and Francesco Bardelli and Stefano Pinsone of Italy hold the same honour at the Under 23 level.
Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (LM4x)
Three boats will contest this boat class – Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Three of four from the German boat are bronze medallists from last year’s World Rowing Championships, with the same proportion of the Italian boat being the reigning U23 Champions in this boat class.
Para-Rowing Boat Classes
PR1 Men’s Single Sculls (PR1 M1x)
The PR1 men’s single has 12 entries and all eyes will be on the rematch between Roman Polianskyi of Ukraine and Giacomo Perini of Italy. Perini won the European Championships a few weeks ago in Slovenia, and will be looking to assert his domination on home waters. But don’t count out Polianskyi just yet. The reigning World and Paralympic Champion will be looking for revenge. Keep an eye out too for Rene Campos Pereira of Brazil, who was bronze medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, or Michel Munoz Malagon of Mexico and Andrew Mangan of the USA. A quality field!
PR1 Women’s Single Sculls (PR1 W1x)
A high-quality field of eight will be competing at the PR1 women’s single sculls, with all three medallists of the European Championship racing: Nathalie Benoit of France, who came third; Moran Samuel of Israel, who earned silver and Norway’s European Rowing Champion Birgit Skarstein, who is also the reigning Paralympic Champion.
PR2 Men’s Single Sculls (PR2 M1x)
The top name in that boat class is Dutch legend Corne de Koning. He is the World Best Time holder – and beat his time last weekend at the Gavirate International Para-Rowing Regatta – and while he will also compete in the PR2 mixed double sculls, he will look to get a gold medal in the single. Who can stop him? Possibly Gianfilippo Mirabile of Italy, who will also race in the PR2 Mix2x but will try to prevent Corne from another World Cup win.
PR2 Women’s Single Sculls (PR2 W1x)
Only three entries in this boat class. Can Anna Aisanova of Ukraine, who was on the podium in Racice last year, work her way to the top of the field? It will be the first World Cup participation for Chinette Lauridsen of Denmark and Ka Yee Ip of Hong Kong China – one of them will win their first international medal.
PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (PR2 Mix2x)
Defending European Champions Lauren Rowles and Gregg Stevenson of Great Britain will be looking to continue their success as part of 13 entrees. Their Dutch counterparts, Corne De Koning and Chantal Haenen, who came second in the European Rowing Championships, will want to swap places this time around.
PR3 Men’s Pair (PR3 M2-)
Three entries in this boat class, and three new crews – from Brazil, Ukraine and Italy. Tommaso Schettino was a member of the Italian PR3 Mixed Coxed Four, and will be joined by Marco Frank, who competed at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships back in 2002. On home waters, the duo will be favourite to win the gold medal.
PR3 Mixed Double Sculls (PR3 Mix2x)
Eights crews will compete in that boat class, that will be featured for the first time at the Paralympic Games in Paris. Last week at the Gavirate International Para Regatta, the Australian combination of Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager won both races on Saturday and Sunday, so they will come to Varese as the crew to watch. Keep an eye on Ukraine, who finished second twice in Gavirate, and Brazil1, who won a silver medal at the World Championships last year.
PR3 Mixed Coxed Quad (PR3 Mix4+)
Is there a more dominant crew than the Great Britain PR3 Mixed Coxed Four? Certainly not at the moment. Unbeaten since 2010 in this boat class, the British will be looking to add another gold medal to their unbelievable tally. Can France or Italy stop them? The French were on the podium in Bled and close enough to the GB crew in the preliminary race to keep an eye on them. Don’t count out Italy too – with the local fans encouraging them, the Azzurri can always create a surprise.
The 2023 World Rowing Cup II takes place 16-18 June in Varese, Italy. Find the complete programme, entries, and more on worldrowing.com
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