Race Report: Switzerland and the USA shine for the first finals of the 2023 World Rowing Cup III

The first A-Finals at the 2023 World Rowing Cup III took place today, with the lightweight men’s and women’s single sculls.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls

Liz Martin of USA2 was out of the blocks at 42, and up alongside Siobhan Mccrohan of Ireland and Aurelie Morizot of France. Moving towards the 500m, Mccrohan was underrating the field at 35 and in the lead. Also tracking for the lead was Sophia Luwis of USA1. Both Mccrohan and Luwis qualified directly from the Heats for the Final. Behind them, Olivia Bates of Great Britain had pushed past Morizot. Coming into the 1000m, Luwis and Mccrohan went stroke for stroke, Luwis clocking faster on the surge. The top three were growing the distance from the back of the field, further solidifying their medal positions. Luwis was moving away from Mccrohan. Was the Irishwoman saving something for the finish?

But as they crossed the 1500m, Luwis had extended that lead to 3 seconds, with Olivia Bates another 2 seconds back on top of that. No one was catching the American for the gold medal, and the Irish for the silver medal. Back in fourth, Georgia Miansarow of Australia looked to be closing the gap with Bates – would she be able to do it in time? Bates would hold onto it, crossing just 0.07 seconds ahead of Miansarow.

Results: USA1, IRL, GBR, AUS, USA2, FRA

B-Final

Canada’s Karissa Riley was off to the fastest start. Riley just missed out on the A-Final, finishing on the wrong side of a finish in yesterday’s Repechage. With a 3.5 second lead at a the 500m over Norway’s Oda Aagesen and the rest of the field, she maintained a steady that distance through to the 1500m. The Netherlands’ Tosca Kettler decided it was her time to go, getting overlap with Riley. Riley crossed the line in first, no doubt a great confidence booster ahead of the World Rowing Under 23 Championships later this month.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls

It was Manel Balastegui who had the fastest start, getting the lead out in front of the field. Baptiste Savaete of France was moving heading into the 500m, crossing the line first. But hot on his stern were the Swiss sculler Andri Struzina and the Pole Artur Mikolajczewski. Through the 1000m, the Polish sculler was leading by 5m, the Swiss sculler shortly behind him. Savaete and Balastegui seemed to not be able to keep up, but still had the bronze to fight for. Mikolajczewski threw everything in coming into the 1500m, just as the cowbells started to ring for Struzina. With a quick glance to his left, the Swiss sculler went for it, closing the gap with the leader. In the final 50m, he pulled ahead, crossing the line 0.33 seconds ahead. Savaete won out in the battle for bronze with the Spaniard.

Results: SUI, POL, FRA, ESP, SLO, AUS

B-Final

Just over a second separated the field by the 500m, but it was Germany’s Arno Gaus in the lead. Lukas Reim of Austria, who was sixth at the 500m, started moving through the field and through Gaus, taking the lead by the 1000m, and growing it by the 1500m. He manages to hold out a charge from Gaus and the American Jamie Copus coming into the finish.