Crews keep Olympic hopes alive in Qualification Regatta

The 2024 World Rowing European Olympic & Paralympic Qualification Regatta began on Thursday with fierce racing in the four events with spots up for grabs.

Clear leaders in women’s singles

The first heat of the women’s single sculls became a three-way battle, with the early leader Nina Kostanjsek of Slovenia being overhauled in the second half by individual neutral athlete Tatsiana Klimovich and young Pole Wiktoria Kalinowska, who took the two spots in the final. In heat two, Azerbaijan’s Diana Dymchenko and Ukrainian Yevheniia Dovhodko showed they are in good form, leading out to secure their places in the crucial final.

Pimenov, Vasilev, and Brys head the field

The scullers who were closest to qualifying for the Olympics at the 2023 World Rowing Championships proved they have maintained their form over the winter, winning their heats of the men’s single sculls. That puts Serbia’s Nikolaj Pimenov and Bulgarian Kristian Vasilev in a good position ahead of tomorrow’s semifinals. Olympians Tim Brys of Belgium and Hungary’s Bendeguz Petervari-Molnar took the spots from heat 3; Petervari-Molnar qualified for Tokyo through the European Olympic Qualification Regatta in 2021. The day’s racing concluded with the repechages, with three scullers from each progressing to the semifinals. Slovenia’s Isak Zvegelj and Monaco’s Quentin Antognelli were the two repechage winners.

Poland in pole position

There was tight racing for the single place in the final from the heats of the lightweight men’s double sculls, with Poland winning the first heat ahead of the young Turkish crew, and Portugal. In heat 2, Austria, who were eighth at World Rowing Cup I, led through halfway but were closed down by Ukraine and Belgium in the closing sprint; Ukraine held on for victory. Poland also won the preliminary race in the five-boat lightweight women’s double sculls. All crews will race for the two places available in Sunday’s final.

Racing continues later today with the Repechages in the men’s single sculls, with the remainder of the racing taking place Friday through Sunday.