Netherlands wins overall World Rowing Cup crown; Australia tops medal table in Poznan

The Netherlands emerged as the overall winners of the 2024 World Rowing Cup with 143 points, beating Great Britain by five points. Both nations’ development squads had a good showing at World Rowing Cup III in Poznan, Poland, but the Dutch had done enough earlier in the season to take the title.

Australia topped the medal table at the final showdown before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, winning six gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes. New Zealand picked up four golds and two bronzes.

Diening ends World Rowing Cup season on a high

Manuela Diening of Germany finishes her World Rowing Cup season with a second victory, following up her gold from Lucerne with a confident scull to beat Poland’s Zofia Seweryn. The result was never in doubt, with Diening’s experience prevailing over the local debutant.

RESULT: GER, POL

Pritchard wins first gold for Great Britain

As in the preliminary race, the early leader in the PR1 men’s single sculls was Britain’s Benjamin Pritchard. He had established a five-second lead by the 500m mark, leading out Italy’s Giacomo Perini and Australian Erik Horrie. At halfway Pritchard had extended the lead slightly, and he continued to lead at 1500m. Perini and Horrie were throwing everything at the race in the closing 500m, but Pritchard hung on for his first international gold medal.

RESULT: GBR1, ITA, AUS, GER, GBR2, TUN

Gold for Morrison and McIntyre

There was a high-quality field in the women’s pairs, with Australia’s world silver medallists, Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre, arguably the favourites. And they were first to 500m with the rest of the field overlapping their stern. In the second 500m the Australians extended their lead, leaving the battle for the minor medals in their wake. It was Denmark’s Hedvig Rasmussen and Fie Udby Erichsen who took on that race, but Ireland’s Aifric Keogh and Fiona Murtagh and Ilse Kolkman and Willemijn Mulder of the Netherlands were well in the mix. Into the closing quarter it was all about Denmark and Ireland, with Ireland finding a bit more speed into the finish to claim second by 0.28 seconds.

RESULT: AUS1, IRL, DEN, NED, FRA1, FRA2
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: NED

Swiss pair secure World Rowing Cup title with victory

Ahead of World Rowing Cup III, Switzerland’s Roman Roeoesli and Andrin Gulich trailed Great Britain by five points in the men’s pair standings. Their solid win in the final in Poznan gave them the World Rowing Cup crown, despite a good fifth place for Great Britain’s development crew. Behind them, Olympic champions Martin and Valent Sinkovic showed that a hard training block is paying off – the Croatians were less than 1.5 seconds back on the Swiss pair and their silver is their first podium appearance of the season. Daniel Williamson and Philip Wilson won bronze for New Zealand, a further second back.

RESULT: SUI, CRO, NZL1, NZL2, GBR2, AUS2
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: SUI

Australian sprint edges Norway into silver

Romania were the surprise early leaders in the women’s double sculls final, and stayed in front until almost halfway. But Norway, Australia and France were piling on the pressure and by the halfway mark Norway’s Thea Helseth and Inger Seim Kavlie had their bows in front. Australia’s Amanda Bateman and Harriet Hudson were not far behind, however, and these two crews were pulling away from the field as the race entered the final 500m. It was neck-and-neck, but Australia had a bit more in it in the sprint and took victory in 7:04.03, 0.29 seconds ahead of Norway. Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino and Emma Lunatti were the clear bronze medallists.

RESULT: AUS, NOR, FRA1, ROU, NZL, GBR1
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: NOR

Olympic champions left out of the medals as Ireland take gold

A tight race in the men’s double sculls saw the Polish crew sprint out of the blocks, but Olympic champions Hugo Boucheron and Matthieu Androdias, and Ireland’s Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch, were both close behind. It was the Irish who had more speed in the middle of the race, and pushed ahead of the pack. As the crews came into the last 500m there was still nothing in it for the minor medals. With Ireland out in front, Germany’s Jonas Gelsen and Marc Weber won an excellent silver medal, while Jordan Parry and Robbie Manson of New Zealand took bronze. Great Britain edged fourth place, pushing the Olympic champions into fifth.

RESULT: IRL, GER, NZL1, GBR1, FRA, POL
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: NED

World champions back on top

Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager of Australia were dominant in last year’s World Rowing Championships final in the PR3 mixed double sculls, and they led throughout the final in Poznan too. But Great Britain’s Sam Murray and Annie Caddick, fourth in Belgrade, and Germany’s Jan Helmich and Hermine Krumbein have closed in on the Australians over the last few months. The British were able to hold off Germany for silver. The USA, whose bowman Todd Vogt won silver in Belgrade, were a distant fourth.

RESULT: AUS, GBR, GER, USA, FRA2, IND

New Zealand dominant in lightweight doubles

French lightweight women’s double sculls Olympic silver medallists Claire Bove and Laura Tarantola are coming back into form this season. They qualified their boat for Paris at the ‘last chance’ regatta in Lucerne last month. In the final in Poznan Bove and Tarantola showed they mean business with a fast start, leading out New Zealand’s Jackie Kiddle and Shannon Cox. However, the Kiwis were faster in the rest of the race and were able to cruise to a decisive win in 7:02.50, 4.47 seconds up on France. Poland won bronze from lane 1, also a good result for a crew that only recently qualified for Paris at the European Olympic Qualification Regatta.

RESULT: NZL, FRA, POL, CHN, SUI, TUN
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: GBR

Double medals for France

After joining their female teammates in Paris with a win at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, France’s Hugo Beurey and Ferdinand Ludwig led throughout the lightweight men’s double sculls final. They won by a good clear-water margin. Mexico’s Miguel Carballo and Alexis Lopez rowed a good race to win silver, while France 2, 21-year-olds Antoine Lefebvre and Cornelius Palsma, did well to win bronze ahead of Argentina’s Paris-qualified boat.

RESULT: FRA1, MEX, FRA2, ARG
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: ITA

Rowles and Stevenson add another win

Since teaming up, Great Britain’s PR2 mixed double sculls combination of Lauren Rowles and Gregg Stevenson are undefeated, and the European and world champions made their latest win look straightforward. However, there is no doubt that the field in this event is becoming increasingly competitive. Germany’s new crew of Paul Umbach and Jasmina Bier threw everything into chasing the British, and finished 6.5 seconds down in Poznan, with the Dutch duo of Corne de Koning and Esther van der Loos winning bronze ahead of Poland.

RESULT: GBR, GER, NED, POL

Kiwis secure women’s four gold

New Zealand had much the best start in the women’s four, storming out of the blocks to a lead over Romania and Australia of almost two seconds by 500m. That left the rest of the field battling for the minor medals. Australia managed to get enough of a margin that their silver was fairly safe in the closing stages, with Denmark and the Romanian boat both sprinting for bronze. Denmark closed up a gap of nearly 1.5 seconds at 1500m to miss out on a medal by only 0.12 seconds, with Romania claiming an excellent medal in third.

RESULT: NZL, AUS, ROU1, DEN, GBR, FRA
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: GBR

Back-to-back golds for New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand’s rivalry continued in the men’s fours, where the crew in green and gold had the better start. But New Zealand remained calm and were able to come through the Australians in the second 500m, extending their lead smoothly to the finish line. The race for bronze was a good one; Switzerland looked stronger early on, but Great Britain 1 had other ideas and were able to row through by the 1500m marker and move out to claim the medal.

RESULT: NZL, AUS, GBR1, SUI, GBR2, GER
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: GBR

Britain boss the PR3 Mix4+ – again

Another final in the PR3 mixed coxed four, and another victory for Great Britain, who have really made this boat class their own since 2010. The rest of the field is trying hard to close the gap, however, and Britain’s bows were not always in front. By 500m they had gained a lead and they extended that as France and the USA battled for silver and bronze in their wake. It was the Americans, world silver medallists behind Britain in Belgrade, who prevailed with France taking bronze.

RESULT: GBR, USA, FRA, GER, AUS, ITA

Germany’s sprint stronger than Switzerland

The women’s quadruple sculls preliminary race produced a win for Switzerland thanks to an awesome closing sprint. Their great rivals Germany clearly learned from that, and did not leave the Swiss any room in the final to close up the gap. Germany led through every market and claimed gold in 6:28.32, ahead of Switzerland in 6:29.60. Australia won bronze.

RESULT: GER, SUI, AUS, POL
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: GER

Polish pride in Poznan

Poland’s best chance of gold in Poznan was the men’s quadruple sculls, and their classy crew showed their quality with a decisive victory, winning in 5:55.15. Switzerland took silver, sitting in second place throughout, while Germany 2 – the younger of the two German boats racing – produced another shock by claiming bronze and beating their teammates for a second time in three days.

RESULT: POL, SUI, GER2, NED1, GER1, POL2
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: NED

Australia one-two in women’s eights

Australia entered two boats in the women’s eights, with their Olympic boat matching up against a crew of rowers racing in other events in Poznan. Australia 2 did not race the preliminary race, but proved they were a fast combination by taking silver behind their victorious teammates. The Dutch development boat, after a good first 500m, won bronze ahead of Romania. The victory secured the women’s eights World Rowing Cup title for Australia, as they overtook Great Britain in the standings.

RESULT: AUS1, AUS2, NED, ROU
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: AUS

Mackintosh adds another Kiwi gold

The men’s single sculls final was a good race, with the lead changing down the course. Sverri Nielsen of Denmark led out, chased hard by George Bourne from Great Britain, but world bronze medallist Tom Mackintosh of New Zealand was leading at halfway and stayed in control for the rest of the race. However, Nielsen and Croatian Olympic bronze medallist Damir Martin never let go. Martin had more in the finish to take silver, with Nielsen third. Polish under-23 single sculls world champion Piotr Plominski finished fourth, as Bourne faded into fifth.

RESULT: NZL, CRO, DEN, POL, GBR, BRA
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: NED

Smooth sailing for Rigney

As expected from her performances earlier in the regatta and the season, Australian Tara Rigney won a commanding victory in the women’s single sculls. Behind her, the race for the other medals was close. Juliane Faralisch of Germany put herself in a strong position early on to claim a podium place, and from lane 6 was able to hold on for silver, her first World Rowing Cup medal. Aurelia-Maxima Janzen of Switzerland looked good early, but the USA’s Margaret Fellows pushed her hard and was in bronze-medal position for much of the closing quarter – until Janzen found another gear with her macon blades, and snatched third on the line.

RESULT: AUS1, GER1, SUI, USA1, AUT, POL
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: NED

Aussies end things on top

Australia have stacked their men’s eight ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, packing it with Olympic and world medallists in a bid to claim the big prize this summer. And they looked dominant in Poznan, beating the rest of the field in 5:32.48, 5.69 seconds ahead of second-placed Germany. The Deutschland Achter had a good start, staying level with Australia through the 500m mark, but when the Australians turned on the power nobody else could cope. Ukraine 1 earned bronze ahead of Romania and Ukraine 2, a shiny end to a season which saw all eight rowers miss out on Paris qualification in either the men’s four or quadruple sculls.

RESULT: AUS, GER, UKR1, ROU, UKR2
WORLD ROWING CUP WINNERS: GBR