Crews to watch at the 2024 European Rowing Championships

The 2024 European Rowing Championships take place in Szeged, Hungary, from 25 to 28 April 2024. Although the top Dutch crews are absent, there is a packed and high-quality field across the board contending for medals in the 22 events on offer. Here are the crews to watch.

Women’s Pair (W2-)

Hot favourites for the title in the women’s pair are the Romanian defending champions, Ioana Vrinceanu and Roxana Anghel, who also picked up bronze at the 2023 World Rowing Championships, along with gold in the women’s eight. They are doubling up once again in Szeged. Several other experienced pairs return too this year, including 2023 bronze medallists Aina Cid and Esther Briz of Spain, the Croatian Jurkovic twins, and Greece’s Evangelia Anastasiadou and Christina Bourmpou.

Men’s Pair (M2-)

The men’s pair looks to be one of the most unpredictable events right now. On their day, 2024 World Rowing Cup I winners Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George of Great Britain can fly, but they were beaten by Switzerland’s Roman Roeoesli and Andrin Gulich at both the 2023 European and World Rowing Championships. Croatia’s Olympic champions Martin and Valent Sinkovic did not quite have the speed at World Rowing Cup I, but have the pedigree in this boat class. And with crews such as the Netherlands looking to peak ahead of the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, they cannot be ruled out either.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

The last time anyone beat Romania’s Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis in the women’s double sculls was at the 2019 World Rowing Championships. Their winning streak is now the longest for any current Olympic-class crew, and it would seem foolish to bet against them extending it in Szeged. World silver medallists Lithuania are back for another try, however, while Norway have shuffled their line-up around since World Rowing Cup I.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

With the Sinkovic brothers, who won the 2023 European championships, now in the pair, and the Dutch world champions sitting this event out, there could well be an opportunity for 2023 silver medallists Luca Rambaldi and Matteo Sartori to take gold. The Italians pushed the Dutch close at World Rowing Cup I and are clearly in good shape. Elsewhere, Spain’s Aleix Garcia and Rodrigo Conde will be setting out to regain the form that took them to world silver in 2022.

Women’s Four (W4-)

A reshuffled British boat looked extremely strong at World Rowing Cup I, defeating the Dutch world champions by clear water. All four members of the crew finished second to Romania in either the four or the eight at last year’s European Rowing Championships. Romania have brought an unchanged crew – again racing both events – and the renewal of this rivalry will surely bring fireworks to Szeged.

Men’s Four (M4-)

Italy snapped Great Britain’s winning streak in the men’s four at World Rowing Cup I in both the heat and the final. Their experienced crew, stacked in preparation for the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, definitely want to show the victories were just the start of a successful year. But you cannot rule out the British world and European champions – nor the likes of Romania, or a Polish crew containing three of the 2019 world champions in this event.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)

Only two of the 11 women’s single sculls entrants at the European Rowing Championships raced in this boat class at World Rowing Cup I, and Germany’s Alexandra Foester had the best performance. Foester improved through the regatta to finish second to world champion Karolien Florijn in the final. The field also includes last year’s European silver and bronze medallists, Aurelia-Maxima Janzen of Switzerland and Serbia’s Jovana Arsic. Arsic booked her ticket to Paris last year and was the standout at the Memorial ‘Paolo d’Aloja’ Regatta in Piedluco in late March.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)

A top-quality field in the men’s single sculls is headlined by world champion Oliver Zeidler, who raced well to win World Rowing Cup I without mishap. He is joined by Greece’s Olympic champion Stefanos Ntouskos, who was a little off the pace at the Paolo d’Aloja’ Regatta in Piedluco. Tokyo bronze medallist Damir Martin missed a medal at World Rowing Cup I, but looked good in the earlier rounds. Others to look out for include Denmark’s Sverri Nielsen and Frenchman Valentin Onfroy, who has moved out of the double sculls he raced in last season. And don’t forget Ireland’s Paul O’Donovan – the 2017 lightweight single sculls world champion and reigning Olympic and world champion in the lightweight men’s double sculls is racing openweight in Szeged, and it will be fascinating to see how his speed compares.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

In the lightweight women’s double sculls Great Britain’s Emily Craig had to withdraw on the eve of the regatta for medical reasons, but her world and European champion partner Imogen Grant will be joined in Szeged by World Rowing Cup I lightweight women’s single sculls winner Olivia Bates. The British duo are likely to still be fast. Chasing them are the likes of Romania’s Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc, back together for the first time since the Tokyo Olympic Games, where they were sixth. Last season, Cozmiuc won bronze at the World Rowing Championships alongside Mariana-Laura Dumitru. Meanwhile Italy, after 0.02 seconds separated their two crews at World Rowing Cup I, have split those boats up and entered a combination featuring Olympic champion Valentina Rodini alongside Silvia Crosio.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

World Rowing Cup I showed the field is tight in this event, with very little separating world bronze medallists Italy, world silver medallists and European champions Switzerland, and Norway at that regatta. And the Czech double of Jiri Simanek and Miroslav Vrastil are determined to improve on their string of fourth places. However, reigning world and Olympic champions Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy of Ireland withdrew before the draw, with O’Donovan now contesting the men’s single sculls in Szeged.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

Ukraine were one of the standout crews at World Rowing Cup I, winning both the preliminary race and the final by a good margin as they work towards the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. Germany also surprised, beating world champions Great Britain for bronze, and both crews will be keen to prove Varese was no one-off. Other countries have shuffled their crews around since last year; notably the Italians have brought in lightweight women’s double sculls Olympic champion Federica Cesarini in an all-new combination since World Rowing Cup I.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

Last year’s European Rowing Championships were one of the few times the Netherlands did not win the men’s quadruple sculls, and the Poles are back to defend their title in Szeged. Their form dipped later in the season, with the Italians taking silver at the World Rowing Championships with Poland in bronze. In turn, Italy were beaten into third place at World Rowing Cup I by Great Britain, and Switzerland could also be in the mix in this competitive event.

Women’s Eight (W8+)

There are four boats entered in the women’s eight in Szeged, but the quality is high. At World Rowing Cup I, the British boat doubled up in the women’s fours and did not have the legs to beat a feisty Italian crew in the final. At the European Rowing Championships it is Romania that is doubling up, with six athletes also racing in the pair and four. But Romania pulled this off at the World Rowing Championships, where the six doubling up won medals in their alternate events along with gold in the eight. They should again be hot favourites to defend their European title.

Men’s Eight (M8+)

At the 2023 European Rowing Championships the men’s eight final was one of the highlights, with Great Britain snatching gold by 0.05 seconds over Romania. There is one change in the Romanian crew this year – Constantin Adam taking the 5-seat in place of Marius Cozmiuc – while the British world champions are all back, fresh off a World Rowing Cup I victory. Germany and Italy will also be in the medal race.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)

The pick of the lightweight women’s single sculls entries includes the silver medallist from World Rowing Cup I, Norway’s Maia Lund, alongside 2023 European bronze medallist Kristyna Neuhortova of Czechia. France’s Aurelie Morizot is another to look out for; she made the final at the 2023 World Rowing Championships.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x)

Swiss world champion Andri Struzina raced in the men’s single sculls at World Rowing Cup I, pushing his openweight counterpart Oliver Zeidler pretty close in the quarterfinal. Struzina was third at the 2023 European Rowing Championships, beaten by Italy’s Niels Torre, but Torre was second at the World Rowing Championships. France’s Baptiste Savaete and Hungary’s Peter Galambos have also been very much in the mix in this event of late.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-)

The three-boat entry for the lightweight men’s pairs features 2023 world silver medallists Hungary and bronze medallists Moldova, who, in the absence of world champions Italy, will both be expecting they can move up the podium. Austria completes the line-up.

PARA-ROWING EVENTS

PR1 Women’s Single Sculls (PR1 W1x)

Birgit Skarstein has not been beaten in an official international regatta in the PR1 women’s single sculls since 2017 – but France’s Nathalie Benoit came close in Belgrade last year, finishing less than two seconds down on the Norwegian. Ukraine’s Anna Sheremet and Israel’s Moran Samuel are also regulars on the podium in this event; Germany’s Manuel Diening completes the strong field.

PR1 Men’s Single Sculls (PR1 M1x)

Look out in the PR1 Men’s Single Sculls for the three 2023 World Rowing Championships medallists – Ukraine’s Roman Polianskyi, Italy’s Giacomo Perini and Great Britain’s Benjamin Pritchard. Marcus Klemp of Germany and Israeli Shmuel Daniel are also likely to be among the finalists.

PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (PR2 Mix2x)

Paralympic champion Lauren Rowles burst back on to the racing scene last year after a year out, with her new combination with Gregg Stevenson proving unbeatable. The British are one of only three boats in Szeged returning unchanged from the 2023 World Rowing Championships, the others being the longstanding Polish crew, and Israel. Dutch Paralympic silver medallist Corne de Koning has reunited with his 2016 crewmate Esther van der Loos after Chantal Haenen chose to focus on handcycling, while France’s Perle Bouge is now rowing with five-time Paralympic Winter Games champion Benjamin Daviet, who has switched over from biathlon and cross-country skiing.

PR3 Mixed Double Sculls (PR3 Mix 2x)

France’s Laurent Cadot is the reigning European PR3 mixed double sculls champion, alongside Guylaine Marchand, and he returns this year together with Elur Alberdi; the duo were world bronze medallists last year. The French double are in fact the only world medallists in this event racing in Szeged, although Ukraine and Great Britain, second and third to Cadot at the 2023 European Rowing Championships, are competing. Italy have put together a new combination, with Greta Muti and Luca Conti coming out of the PR3 mixed coxed four, as does Germany’s Jan Helmich.

PR3 Mixed Coxed Four (PR3 Mix4+)

Great Britain have had a stranglehold on the PR3 mixed coxed four since 2010, despite regular crew changes. Four members of last year’s world and European champion boat are selected again, alongside newcomer Joshua O’Brien. Their closest rivals last season were Germany, who are not racing in Szeged. France, European bronze medallists, are likely to push the British closest – they too have a newcomer, with 17-year-old Chafa Candyce joining the crew in the place of Erika Sauzeau.

* This article was updated on Wednesday 24 April after the draw, to reflect withdrawals since entries closed