Lightweight Crews to watch - 2023 World Rowing Championships

The 2023 World Rowing Championships are almost upon us and this week we’re previewing the crews to keep an eye on in Belgrade. Today, we look at the lightweight events.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

Entries: 21
Reigning World Champions: Emily Craig, Imogen Grant (GBR)

This event has become one of the most exciting of any on the programme, but the names to watch at the moment are undoubtedly Great Britain’s Emily Craig and Imogen Grant. At World Rowing Cup II they set a blistering World Best Time of 6:40.47 in the semi-final before going on to beat the USA by 0.08 seconds in the final; their four-second victory over Romania’s new crew of Mariana-Laura Dumitru and Ionela Cozmiuc at World Rowing Cup III was a much more comfortable result. USA 2022 silver medallist Michelle Sechser is joined in Belgrade by Mary Jones, with Molly Reckford having moved to the women’s quadruple sculls since World Rowing Cup II – making them a slightly unknown quantity, but surely dangerous. Also in the running for the medals could be France’s Claire Bove and Laura Tarantola and Greece’s Dimitra Kontou and Zoi Fitsiou, who have all reached the podium behind the British this season.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

Entries: 27
Reigning World Champions: Fintan McCarthy, Paul O’Donovan (IRL)

Until the beginning of this season it was starting to look as though the Irish dominance in the lightweight men’s double sculls was inevitable. The Olympic Champions added a World Championships gold medal to their achievements last year, before Paul O’Donovan took a break to finish his medical studies. With Hugh Moore racing instead, Ireland were sixth at the European Rowing Championships and Switzerland’s Jan Schaeuble and Raphael Ahumada Ireland took an excellent win over Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares of Italy. The Swiss won again at World Rowing Cup II and when O’Donovan and McCarthy returned for World Rowing Cup III, it was Hugo Beurey and Ferdinand Ludwig of France who triumphed, ahead of Ireland with Switzerland third. All this means the field is wide open, with other crews such as Greece and Mexico also hoping to challenge.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)

Entries: 23
Reigning World Champion: Ionela Cozmiuc (ROU)

Several different scullers have stood out in the lightweight women’s single sculls this season. The 2022 World Champion, Ionela Cozmiuc (ROU), won the European Rowing Championships but has moved into the lightweight double, so Gianina van Groningen (nee Beleaga) has stepped into the boat for her 2023 racing debut. France’s Aurelie Morizot won World Rowing Cup II, and the USA’s Sophia Luwis was the gold medallist at World Rowing Cup III. Britain’s Olivia Bates and Ireland’s Siobhan McCrohan have also stood on the podium this year, while 2022 World silver medallist Martine Veldhuis of the Netherlands is back in the boat after racing in openweight events earlier this season. Meanwhile don’t rule out Mexico’s two-time Olympian Kenia Lechuga, .

 Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x)

Entries: 28
Reigning World Champion: Gabriel Soares (ITA)

World Champion Gabriel Soares has moved to the lightweight men’s double sculls this year, but he may well pass the title on to his compatriot Niels Torre. Torre, World Champion in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls in 2022, has shone in the smaller boat this season with silver at the European Rowing Championships and gold at World Rowing Cup II. Serious rivals will include Andri Struzina of Switzerland, second at World Rowing Cup II and first at World Rowing Cup III. France’s Baptiste Savaete has had a good season too, with two World Rowing Cup bronze medals. And while he will probably not be in the running for the medals, keep an eye on the field’s youngest competitor, Turkiye’s Halil Koroglu. At the age of just 17, Koroglu won gold in the Under 19 men’s single sculls at the World Rowing Under 19 Championships earlier in August, and is one to watch for the future.

Lightweight Women’s Pair (LW2-)

Entries: 3
Reigning World Champions: Maria Zerboni, Samantha Premerl (ITA)

Germany, Italy, and the USA line up for the lightweight women’s pair this year. Italy have sent their Under 23 World Champions in this event, Serena Mossi and Elena Grisoni, to see if they can add senior gold to the title they won earlier in the season. Americans Solveig Imsdahl and Elaine Tierney were second to Italy in Racice last year, and Germany’s Eva Hohoff was third – will the positions change in Belgrade?

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-)

Entries: 4
Reigning World Champions: Alessandro Durante, Giovanni Ficarra (ITA)

With four entries in the lightweight men’s pair, Italy again have the best form coming into the regatta. Francesco Bardelli and Stefano Pinsone beat Hungary and Germany at World Rowing Cup II before taking silver in this event at the World Under 23 Rowing Championships, behind the USA. Hungary’s Bence Szabo and Kalman Furko will be challenging Italy for the win.

Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (LM4x)

Entries: 3
Reigning World Champions: Antonio Vicino, Alessandro Benzoni, Niels Torre, Patrick Rocek (ITA)

It’s a three-boat race for gold in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls. Italy look like the pick of the bunch, with six-time World Championship medallist Pietro Ruta in the bows hoping for his first senior world title at the age of 36. The USA combination is also intriguing, with stroke Jamie Copus making his World Championship debut for the USA after previously competing for Great Britain.

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