Glorious day for Romania at the 2024 European Rowing Under 19 Championships

Kruszwica played host to the 2024 European Rowing Under 19 Championships this past weekend. Many nations ended up on the podium, with rowers from 9 of the 18 nations engaged returning home with medals around their necks.

And what a day it was for Romania, who picked up seven gold medals and three silver, en route to the top of the medal table. Italy had four gold medals and ten in total, while Greece won three gold medals. As always with the Under 19, racing was sharp, crisp, and the atmosphere was great in Poland.

On Sunday, the Romanians almost swept all sweep events – winning in both the men’s and women’s pair, men’s and women’s eight, women’s four and men’s coxed four. Only Italy could stop them in the women’s coxed four, and the men’s four – in a fantastic race that was decided by less than two seconds over the line.

The Romanian anthem would be heard one more time, in the women’s single sculls, where reigning World Rowing Under 19 Champion Bianca Camelia Ifteni won her race almost ten seconds over the silver medallist from Italy.

The young Squadra Azzura will be going back to Italy with a total of 10 medals overall, four of which are gold. In very impressive fashion, the Italians won both the men’s and women’s quadruple sculls, to continue their great tradition in that boat class.

Kruszwica saw also a great performance by the Greek team. Nikolaos Cholopoulos was in Lucerne a few days ago, attempting to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris, so it was perhaps not a surprise to see him and his teammate Konstantinos Giannoulis winning the men’s double sculls. Panagiotis Markygiannis won a silver last year at World level, and is coming home this time with a gold medal around his neck after dominating the men’s single sculls.

For race reports, photos and race results, visit www.worldrowing.com.

Many of these athletes will travel to Canada later this year, when the nation hosts the 2024 World Rowing Under 19 Championships, from 18 to 25 August in St Catharines, in what will be the combined 2024 World Rowing Senior, Under 23 and Under 19 Championships.