Race Report: Photo finishes and thrilling races at World Rowing Under 19 Championships Finals

A day earlier than originally planned, and hot on the heels of the semifinals the medal races of this year’s World Rowing Under 19 Championships got underway today in Paris. The packed grandstands were treated to a series of thrilling races as the best U19 rowers from around the world looked to  secure places on the medal podium.

U19 Women’s Coxed Four (JW4+) – Final

With just two medals up for grabs in this race, it was all to play for. Australia got off to a flying start and it was them, along with the USA, that got the early lead. By 500m, the USA had moved ahead and Italy also started to pull up putting Australia under pressure. The USA were determined to defend their title in this boat class and continued to lead. The American crew continued to lead towards the line and as the famous Italian sprint kicked in they cemented their position for the silver medal. Despite their fast start, it was Australia that had missed out on a medal.

Result: USA, ITA, AUS

U19 Men’s Coxed Four (JM4+) – Final

Italy poked their nose out and took the initial lead with the rest of the field fairly level in the early stages. As the race began to open up, Australia, as defending champions in this boat class, were matching Germany racing for silver medal position. Italy remained in a strong position at the front of the field by halfway, but the remaining medals were far from set. With 500m to go, Italy had reacted to a strong attack from Germany, who were now sitting in silver medal position, with Australia keeping the pressure on them.  Meanwhile, Turkiye were also starting to lift the boat speed to try and move into medal contention. With Italy continuing to lead, Germany looked set for silver and the bronze was a race to the line between Turkiye and Australia. The defending Champions Australia missed out on a medal this year as Turkiye claimed the bronze.

Result: ITA, GER, TUR, AUS, USA, FRA

U19 Women’s pair (JW2-) – A-Final

Romania’s Ionela Elena Scutaru and Gabriela Tivodariu absolutely flew off the start and established a lead but as they approached 500m, Greece and the AIN boat started to reel them in. By 500m, the Individual Neutral Athletes, Kira Kavalenka and Milana Darakhavets, were sitting in silver medal position, but level with Greece’s Christina Papaioannou and Dimitra Papaioannou. At the halfway marker, Romania remained in the lead, looking very strong. Meanwhile, the rest of the field was starting to open up slightly. Australia’s Katie Jackson and Lucy Richardson started to ramp things up in the closing stages trying to sneak a medal, and that is exactly what they did – crossing the line 0.13 seconds ahead of AIN.

Result: ROU, GRE, AUS, AIN, FRA, GER

U19 Men’s Pair (JM2-) – A-Final

The reigning European Champions on this boat class, Turkiye gained a very strong early lead and they looked untouchable in the early stages of the race. Germany was desperately trying to hold on, but Turkiye had a clear water advantage. Meanwhile, the race for bronze was still on between France and South Africa. Into the final stages of the race, Aytimur Selcuk and Enes Biber of Turkiye continued to absolutely dominate but the race was well and truly on behind them. A strong final sprint from South Africa’s Myles Laburn and Braden Howard allowed them to close up on Germany, and while it wasn’t quite enough to steal the silver, it did ensure they claimed bronze ahead of France.

Result: TUR, GER, RSA, FRA, GRE, GBR

U19 Women’s Four (JW4-) – A-Final

Romania and France appeared to get out of the start fastest – with Romania still up at 45 strokes per minute at the 250 marker. As the race approached 500m, Romania continued to lead while Great Britain seemed to find their rhythm as they pulled up alongside France and moved into the silver medal position. Italy certainly weren’t out of the mix either as they started to put France under pressure and Germany were also still well in contention as the race progressed through the second quarter. Great Britain looked to be coming back on Romania as they approached the halfway marker and they they moved into the lead by 0.05 seconds at 1000m! Italy was now also starting to put Romania under pressure – they are reigning Champions in this boat class and had a point to prove. Great Britain were continuing to lead into the final quarter of the race but Romania and Italy were piling the pressure on. It was all to play for! The medallists looked set, but the order definitely wasn’t!

Result: ITA, GBR, ROU, GER, SUI, FRA

U19 Men’s Four (JM4-) – A-Final

The Romanian’s got off to a cracking start at 44 strokes per minute, taking half a length off Great Britain by 250m. As the race started to unfold, France found their rhythm and, with the highest boat speed, they started to close in on Great Britain. Romania continued to keep their lead and with Great Britain holding on to silver medal position, there was very little between France and Germany for third place. Romania, looking keen to improve on their silver medal from the European U19s continued to dominate but, as the race came into the final stages, Germany had moved through France and Great Britain was having to respond too now. Germany had now moved into silver medal position! Meanwhile, France had overtaken Great Britain too and the British had missed out on a medal all together.

Result: ROU, GER, FRA, GBR, ITA, HUN

U19 Women’s Quadruple Sculls (JW4x) – A-Final

The 2023 European Champions, Italy were fastest out of the blocks and in the lead at 500m, but in the second quarter of the race, Germany increased their boat speed and started to close up the Italian lead while Czechia were still also well in the medal zone. Great Britain was in fourth but certainly also still in contention. With 500m to go, Germany had moved into the lead by 0.31 seconds and Great Britain had now moved into bronze medal position, narrowly ahead of Czechia. This race was far from over for the these top four crews. As the rain started to come down, the race stated to heat up. It was a race of two halves with Germany narrowly beating Italy for the gold while Great Britain managed to hold on to the bronze ahead of Czechia.

Result: GER, ITA, GBR, CZE, USA, SUI

U19 Men’s Quadruple Sculls (JM4x) – A-Final

Germany took the early lead while there was very little separating 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Germany had pulled out to a lead of a full length by 750m while Great Britain and Czechia sat in second and third place with China just half a canvas behind. Germany continued to dominate in the third quarter of the race, they were looking very strong, now with clear water. The British were holding on to the silver medal, but China were now starting to draw through Czechia and if they kept the momentum, they could even challenge Great Britain. Nobody could catch Germany and Great Britain looked strong for silver and China, after their incredible sprint, had taken bronze.

Result: GER, GBR, CHN, CZE

U19 Women’s Double Sculls (JW2x) – A-Final

Great Britain’s Matilda Drewett and Jessica Weir took the early lead, pushing their bow out ahead of the field. As they went through 500m, Great Britain continued to lead, but the defending champions from Greece, Sofia Dalidou and Gavriela Lioliou were starting to close in, with Giorgia Gregorutti and Melissa Schincariol of Italy sitting in bronze medal position. Great Britain were having to respond to the constant challenges from Greece – at 1000m, Great Britain was just 0.07 seconds ahead of Greece. In the third quarter of the race, it looked like Greece might have managed to get ahead, but Great Britain was going with them and the lead was constantly changing! Just 0.25 seconds separated the British and the Greeks with 500m to go, this one was going to go to the line. Great Britain’s Drewett and Weir were throwing everything at it and with an amazing sprint finish, they moved ahead of Greece who finished a length up on Italy.

Result: GBR, GRE, ITA, IRL, NOR, RSA

U19 Men’s Double Sculls (JM2x) – A-Final

Josef Giorgio Marvucic and Maichol Brambilla of Italy were looking incredibly strong in the early stages, keen to repeat their success from the European Rowing U19 Championships earlier this year. Following them was Germany’s Leonhard Goez and Yannik Sens, trying to stay in contact, and then Greece. The wind really started to lift during this race but, despite the weather the grandstands remained full to support the crews. In the closing stages, Switzerland had incredible momentum – Nicolas Chambers and Ivo Loepfe really started to sprint and had moved into bronze medal position while Germany were really dropping back – Goez and Sens looked bitterly disappointed at the line to have missed out on a medal.

Result: ITA, GRE, SUI, TUR, GER, IRL

U19 Women’s Eight (JW8+) – Final

It was Germany with the early lead, with New Zealand going with them and the USA, New Zealand also well in the mix. Romania were keen to get in on the action and while Germany was still leading at 500m, Romania had moved into silver medal position with Great Britain also in contention. Despite their slow start, Romania was now really challenging Germany at the front of the field and by 1000m, Germany held just 0.10 second lead with Great Britain still sitting in bronze medal position. Into the third quarter, there was five boats within one boat length with only Italy slightly off the pace. Romania had moved into lead, with a canvas advantage over Germany while reigning U19 champions in this boat class, USA had pushed Great Britain out of bronze medal position. As the crews came into the last 500m, it was still all up for grabs. The strength of the Romanian boat was really starting to show now but Germany were challenging them every stroke. Meanwhile, the race for bronze was still on between the USA and Great Britain – it could be a double photo finish. In an incredible turn of events, Great Britain had taken the gold, with just 0.24 seconds separating first from fourth!

Result: GBR, GER, ROU, USA, NZL, ITA

U19 Men’s Single Sculls (JM1x) – A-Final

The only returning medallist from last year, Peter Strecansky of Slovakia was keen to improve on his bronze medal from last year, but he was likely to face fierce competition. It was the individual neutral athlete Maksim Hrybouski that got the early lead, which he held to halfway when the rest of the field started to close in. 16 year-old Panagiotis Makrygiannis had impressed throughout the early stages of the competition, and started working his way through the field in this final and came from sixth place at 500m and was into the medal zone in the second half of the race. Turkiye’s Halil Kaan Koroglu was also working his way through the front of the field and by the second half of the field, he was at the front and leading the race to the line. Meanwhile, Italy’s Marco Selva, who had won gold in this boat class at the European U19 Championships earlier this season, had not looked quite so on form and had slipped to the back of the race and was well out of medal contention. It was gold for Turkiye, silver for Greece, and Strecanksy had matched his World U19 bronze from last year.

Result: TUR, GRE, SVK, CHN, AIN, ITA

U19 Women’s Single Sculls (JW1x) – A-Final

Romania’s Bianca Camelia Ifteni got the fastest start and established an early lead. She had been impressive throughout the earlier rounds of racing and was certainly the favourite going into this final. As the race progressed, Ifteni only continued to extend her lead. Cloe Callorda of Uruaguay was sat in silver medal position for the first quarter of the race but Ireland’s Holly Davis soon made her move and pushed Callorda into bronze medal position, although they continued to remain close through the middle of the race. The 1-2-3 looked fairly set into the final 500m, with Davis trying to close in on Ifteni in an attempt to upgrade the colour of her medal, but Ifteni had too much to give and held on to become World U19 Champion with Davis taking the silver and a comfortable bronze for Callorda.

Result: ROU, IRL, URU, GER, RSA, BEL

U19 Men’s Eight (JM8+) – Final

It was a fast start for the last medal final of the 2023 World Rowing U19 Championships. Great Britain were the early leaders, clearly keen to match the result of their women’s eight. Great Britain was first to 500m, just under a second ahead of Germany, but Great Britain started to extend their lead in the second quarter of the race. It was then tight for the remaining medals with Romania close behind Germany and New Zealand also still in contention. Great Britain continued to lead with a comfortable lead into the third quarter of the race with Germany continuing to push hard. Meanwhile, Romania was continuing to challenge Germany. The sprint to the line was incredible and while Great Britain held off the challenge from Germany to become World U19 Champions, Romania managed to hold off New Zealand to take bronze.

Result: GBR, GER, ROU, NZL, CZE, ITA