Rowers to watch at the 2024 World Rowing Coastal Championships

A total of 284 entries from 35 nations will descend on Genoa, Italy, this weekend as the 2024 World Rowing Coastal Championships gets underway. With racing taking place over three days, the list of entries includes a mix of recent Olympians and experienced coastal rowers. Here’s a few names to watch out for.

Coastal women’s solo (CW1x)

Forty-one entrants in this boat class and no shortage of big names, including four Paris Olympians! All three of last year’s medallists will return, with Ireland’s Monika Dukarska looking to defend her title but watch also for New Zealand’s Jackie Kiddle who won gold in the mixed double sculls at the Beach Sprint Finals last year, and finished fourth at the Paris Olympic Games a few weeks ago.

Coastal men’s solo (CM1x)

The reigning champion in this boat class will not come to Genoa so the field gets opened. However, Christopher Bak of the USA and Great Britain’s Charles Cousins who won silver and bronze respectively last year will attend, so will certainly be ones to watch out for. Keep an eye on Croatia’s Igor Boraska who raced internationally back in the nineties including being a World Champion in the coxed pair back in 1994 and won bronze in the men’s eight at the 2000 Olympic Games. Now aged 53, it will be great to see him out on the sea! Poland’s Maciej Zawojski, Ireland’s Kealan Mannix, and the Netherlands’ Mitchel Steenman are also names to keep an eye on, as these three are all experienced coastal rowers and know their way around the waves.

Coastal women’s double sculls (CW2x)

The line-up that won gold last year will undoubtedly be looking to defend their title! Janneke Van Der Meulen and Karien Robbers of Hollandia Roeiclub, Netherlands have won the last two years and will be hoping for a cleaner race than last year! They’ll go up against the Lobnig sisters, Katharina and Magdalena of the Austrian Rowing Team again – Magdalena having just raced in the single scull at the Paris Olympic Games. However, what about the other Dutch boat… Marieke Keijser will join forces with Karolien Florijn, who a few weeks ago became Olympic champion in the women’s single sculls – it will be great to see what she can do in coastal rowing!

Coastal men’s double sculls (CM2x)

With a staggering 57 entries, this is the biggest boat class of the 2024 World Rowing Coastal Championships so competition is bound to be fierce! Once again, the defending champions will be back – Kory Rogers and Christopher Bak of Next Level Rowing USA. Last year’s silver medallists; Dennis Gustavsson and Eskil Borgh will also return again this year, looking to take back the title they won in 2021 and 2022. In the Ukrainian composition of UKR2 are Igor Khmara and Stanislav Kovalov, who have just come off their Olympic campaign in the lightweight men’s double sculls. Once again, there are some strong Dutch boats to watch out for. NED01 contains Finn Florijn and Lennart van Lierop who won Olympic gold in the quadruple sculls a few weeks ago, while Jan van der Bij, who won Olympic silver in the eight, will team with the youngest member of the Florijn family, Beer!

Coastal women’s coxed quadruple sculls (CW4x+)

This boat class was won by a boat from the Netherlands last year and while the Dutch may be one of the favourites this year, it is a different line-up. The two women’s double swill join forces, along with Dieuwke Fetter, who coxed the men’s eight to a silver medal at the Paris Olympic Games. However, watch out for Hawkes Bay Rowing Club from New Zealand. While the Dutch crew may be able to boast two Paris Olympic medallists, the Kiwi boat contains three – including two Champions! Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors, who won gold in the women’s double and Emma Twigg who won silver in the women’s single will now take to the sea! Another boat stacked with Olympians is representing Central Sports Club of the army of Ukraine and contains the entire Ukrainian women’s quad that finished fifth in Paris!

Coastal men’s coxed quadruple sculls (CM4x+)

The host nation, Italy, has nine entries in this event and the gold medal-winning crew from last year, representing Rowing Club Genovese will look to defend their title. They’ll need to watch out for Italy03 from Canottieri Padova though. The crew features  three former World Champions including double Olympian Martin Goretti, who won multiple titles between 2005 and 2019. But, guess what, the Dutch are at it again in this boat class. A crew with four Paris Olympians will represent Hollandia Roeiclub and will definitely be worth keeping an eye on.

Coastal mixed double sculls (CMix2x)

Ireland won’t seek to defend their title in this one which might open the door for last year’s silver medallists, Vincent Noirot and Edwige Alfred of Lyon/La Seyne. The experienced British crew which won bronze last year will also return – Clare Jamison and Charles Cousins of Mumbles Amateur Rowing Club. Watch out for the crew from Centra Sportivo Carabinieri (ITA01). Niels Torre is straight off the back of a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships where he set a new World Best Time in the lightweight men’s single sculls. He’ll team up with Laura Meriano in Genoa. New Zealand Rowing (NZL01) will also be one to watch out for – Jackie Kiddle and Matt Dunham are now no strangers to coastal rowing and will be keen to make their mark in the endurance race after a world title at the Beach Sprint Finals in 2023.