Pundit's Picks for the 2023 World Rowing Cup II

The 2023 World Rowing Cup II is set to kick off tomorrow, 16 June, in Varese, Italy. With more than 600 athletes across 300 crews, it is bound to be a busy weekend as nations compete for World Rowing Cup points and international medals across the 26 boat classes.

Our panel of rowing experts is on site, and they all have their own races they are most looking forward to.

For Colleen Saville, American coxswain and rowing aficionado across multiple continents, she has two boat classes she’ll be watching – the women’s single sculls and the PR3 mixed double sculls.

I can’t wait for the upcoming match between Virginia Diaz Rivas of Spain and Tara Rigney of Australia. Both moved into the single after competing in Tokyo, and went head to head in the A-Final at last year’s World Rowing Championships, where Rigney took bronze and Diaz Rivas finished 6th. While Rigney was faster on that occasion, Diaz Rivas is having a dynamic 2023 season, winning gold at the 2023 World Rowing Cup I and competing in the A-Final at the Europeans. With Rigney back on the international circuit, this will be one to watch.

I’m also looking forward to the PR3 Mixed Double Sculls event, that will be featured for the first time at the Paralympic Games in Paris. The Aussies are the standout with wins at last week’s Gavirate International Para-rowing Regatta. But the Brazilians won a silver medal at the World Championships last year. It will be one to follow as we look toward Paris.

Catch the Heats in the women’s single sculls starting at 12:05 CET tomorrow, 16 June, and the Heats in the PR3 mixed double sculls starting at 9:30 CET.

Martin Cross, the two time Olympic medallist (’80, ’84), and four time World medallist (’78,’79, ’85, ’91) from Great Britain, it’s the women’s pair he is most looking forward to this weekend:

The race to see who will take over from New Zealand as World Champions in the women’s pair will have more clarity this weekend. Australia’s Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre are back together again. After missing out on the Tokyo Olympics pair’s final, the two Aussies are looking to make amends in Paris. Also here are the top USA pair of Ali Rusher and the evergreen Meghan Musnicki – last year at Henley Royal Regatta, Musnicki raced with Morrison to win the pairs: now they go head to head.

Catch the Heats in the women’s pair starting at 10:25 CET tomorrow, 16 June.

Niamh Hayes, knows rowing across all of its disciplines, both as a rower and commentator. She will be looking out for the lightweight men’s single sculls, as well as the women’s eight:

One of the races I am looking forward to is the lightweight men’s single sculls. Brothers Andri and Gian Struzina will both take to the water representing Switzerland. Andri finished 2nd at the 2023 World Rowing Cup I. He’ll be up against Italy’s Niels Torre, who recently beat him at Europeans to take silver and is coming off the back of being part of the winning LM4x crew at last year’s World Championships. Gian is moving up to the senior ranks after winning silver at the U23 World Championships last year. It’s sure to be a great battle.

The Women’s Eight is always an incredibly exciting race to watch. There’s just three crews competing so there’ll be no time to mess around in this one! The Australian team know this water in Varese and are solely focused on this race. Rowers from Canada and Great Britain are doubling up in the four and pair giving them plenty of time to get used to the water. Canada has three of its Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champions in the boat, including cox Kristen Kit. It could be anyone’s race!

Catch the Heats of the lightweight men’s single sculls starting at 10:10 CET tomorrow, 16 June, and the Preliminary Race in the women’s eight starting at 15:40 CET.

Robert Treharne Jones is no stranger to rowing commentary. Known as ‘the voice of rowing’, his pick is the men’s single sculls:

The M1x will see another battle royal between world champion Oli Zeidler (GER) and Denmark’s Sverri Nielsen. Zeidler beat Neilsen to the gold in Zagreb, and still managed to retain the upper hand in Bled despite managing only third place to the Dane’s fourth. Whether the new Chinese hopeful, Zhang Hanwen, can make his mark on the established form at his debut appearance remains to be seen, but the withdrawal of Ireland Paul O’Donovan has denied spectators the chance of a rare lightweight-heavyweight encounter.

Catch the Heats in the men’s single sculls starting at 12:25 CET tomorrow, 16 June.