Daily Digest: 2023 World Rowing U19 Championships Begins

After a day’s delay, racing at the 2023 World Rowing Under 19 Championships got underway in Paris, France today with all Heats completed within one extended block of racing. Direct places in medal races were secured in a few boat classes while for many others, there’s more rounds of racing to come over the next few days. There was a mix of weather conditions on the first day of racing with a combination of wind and rain providing challenging racing conditions.

Sixteen-year-old clocks fastest time

The Heats of the men’s single sculls were races not to be last as from each of the five Heats, the top four scullers proceeded to the Quarterfinals with the fifth placed boat having to go through the Repechages. While it was no surprise to see the 2023 European Rowing U19 Champion Marco Selva of Italy win the first Heat in a time of 7:13.11, it was 16-year-old Panagiotis Makrygiannis of Greece who clocked the fastest time across the five Heats when he posted 7:11.12 in Heat four. Competitors in this boat class will race on all three remaining days of the championships with Quarterfinals tomorrow (Friday), Semifinals on Saturday, and A and B Finals scheduled for Sunday.

Ifteni impresses in single scull

The U19 women’s single sculls is the biggest boat class of the Championships with 27 competitors, so the Heats were equally as competitive as the men’s. The winning times between Heats two and three were very close with Marit Jansenns of Belgium clocking 7:54.43 while shortly later, Ireland’s Holly David posted 7:54.89. However, the fastest time across the five Heats came from Romania’s Bianca Camelia Ifteni who led the fifth Heat from the start to clock 7:49.08.

First Final places secured

While the women’s coxed four had a Preliminary Race with all three boats progressing straight to the Final, the men’s coxed four had two Heats with the fastest from each securing a direct route to Sunday’s medal race. These two places were booked by Italy and Germany, who clocked 6:19.99 and 6:22.58 in each of their respective heats. The remaining five boats will need to race in the Repechage, which is the first race tomorrow (Friday) and four out of the five boats in that race will secure a place in the medal Final.

Successful transition from eight to pair

Germany’s Tobias Strangemann and Johannes Benien won gold in the eight at last year’s World Rowing U19 Championships. They’ve moved to the pair this year and they clocked the fastest time across the four Heats. The German duo won Heat two convincingly in a time of 6:38.76. The second best winning time was Italy’s time in heat one, which was 6:43.85. The top two from each of the heats will progress directly to the semifinals on Saturday while the remaining crews will need to race the repechage tomorrow.

Can Great Britain defend their title?

Great Britain has a proud history in the men’s four, and they have come to Paris as defending U19 Champions in that boat class. While they won heat two of three comfortably, their winning time (6:12.33) was the slowest of the winning times. Germany clocked the fastest time in heat one when they posted 6:05.26. Semifinals in this boat class will take place on Saturday when it will be interesting to see how the crews perform, and which progress to Sunday’s medal Final.

Czechia, Germany and Great Britain field strong quads

There were Heat wins for Czechia in both the women’s and men’s quadruple sculls, even thought they didn’t post the fastest times across those Heats. In the women’s quad, last year’s bronze medallists Great Britain were the winners while 2022 silver medallists Germany won heat three and their time of 6:37.75 was the fastest across the three heats. It was the same three nations that won each of the three heats in the men’s quad with Germany once again posting the fastest time when they won the third head in 5:54.88. Czechia are the reigning U19 Champions in this boat class and will be hoping to defend that title on Sunday.

Dalidou targets repeat victory

Greece’s Sofia Dalidou is keen to be World Rowing U19 Champion for the second consecutive year in the women’s double sculls and she has got her campaign off to a good start with partner Gavriela Lioliou. The duo were comfortably the fastest boat across the four heats, their time of 7:01.17. For the Greeks, it was also revenge over the Italian boat of Giorgia Gregorutti and Melissa Schincariol who beat them at the European U19s earlier this year; Italy won the first heat today, but their time significantly slower, 7:11.83. China won heat three with a very similar time to Italy – 7:11.58, while the fourth heat was won by Norway’s Fay Louise Lange and Ane Elinsdatter Hoeien in 7:07.81. Those winners of the four heats will go directly to Saturday’s Semifinals while the remainder of the boats will race a Repechage tomorrow.

Eights round off the heats

Seven entries in both the women’s and men’s eight meant two Heats in each boat class with just the top boat from each heat progressing directly to the A Final. The USA came to Paris as reigning U19 Champions in the women’s eight but could only manage third place in Heat one. It was a win for Romania in that heat, their time of 6:21.90 being the fastest women’s eight. The second heat was won by Germany in 6:23.21, a fitting way for bow of the German crew Nike Versace to celebrate her 18th birthday. In the men’s eight, New Zealand won heat one in 5:40.77 but in the second heat, Great Britain went even faster, clocking 5:35.81. Germany, as defending champions in the men’s eight finished almost six seconds behind Great Britain.

Second race of the day

The session of racing concluded with a Repechage in the men’s single sculls and two in the women’s. It was the second race of the day for all of these rowers and, sadly, saw the first competitors be eliminated from the competition.