Daily Digest: Heats concluded in Genoa

With the first heats of the 2024 World Rowing Coastal Championships having taken place yesterday, the remainder were completed today on the waters of Genoa, Italy. A schedule change has meant that all of the A-Finals have been rescheduled and will all be raced later today, Saturday 7 September.

New and familiar names in solos

The men’s solo was the first boat class to race heats today. The first heat saw a win for Finlay Hamill of New Zealand, making his first appearance on the international coastal scene. Ivan Bove of Club de l’Aviron de Vichy (FRA01) took second place. Ivan is slightly more familiar with coastal rowing and is the brother of French Olympian, Claire. Last year’s bronze medallist Charles Cousins of Mumbles Amateur RC (GBR01) finished third in this heat.

The second heat saw a win for Davide Mumolo (ITA01), who is a very familiar name in international rowing, but is relatively new to coastal rowing. He crossed the line ahead of Finland’s Joel Naukkarinen who is certainly no stranger to coastal rowing!

It was a familiar name winning the third heat. Last year’s silver medallist, Christopher Bak, of Next Level Rowing (USA01) took the win, almost 30 seconds clear of Mykola Kalashnyk (UKR01)

Dutch Olympians beaten

The coastal men’s quad from Hollandia Roeiclub (NED01) is stacked full of Paris 2024 medallists, but it wasn’t t the fastest in the first heat today. That honour went to ITA02, from S.S Murcarolo ASD, who crossed the line ten seconds ahead. The Dutch are understandably still finding their way in coastal rowing so it will be interesting to see what they can do in the final.

In the second heat, a false start from FRA01 meant they had to spend 2 minutes in the penalty box – they were sat in ninth place in the initial stages so it might mean the difference between qualifying for the A final, or not. MON01 also received a sixty second penalty after missing turning point 5. It was UKR01 across the line first, the crew representing the Central Sports Club of the Army of Ukraine.

Torre misses out

In the first heat of the mixed double sculls, there was a false start from ITA01 from Centro Sportivo Carabinier which meant that Laura Meriano and Niels Torre had to visit the Penalty Box. They eventually crossed the line in ninth place, missing out on qualification for the Final A. The winners of that heat were from Real Circulo de Labradores de Sevilla (ESP03).

There was a win New Zealand Rowing in heat two when Kristen Froude and Joseph Sullivan crossed the line just under ten seconds ahead of fellow Kiwis, Matthew Dunham and Jackie Kiddle. Third place in that heat was taken by last year’s bronze medallists, Clare Jamison and Charles Cousins.

Club de Regatas “Lima” (PER01) took the win in the final heat of the day and of the Championships as Johann Geronimo Hamann Zlatar and Pamela Patricia Noya Reyes crossed the line comfortably ahead of C.C.Saturnia -Trieste (Italy02).

Florijn flies again!

Fresh from becoming Olympic Champion in the women’s single sculls a few weeks ago, Karolein Florijn was trying her hand at coastal rowing here in Genoa. Teaming up with Marieke Keijser, she crossed the line first in heat one of the coastal women’s double sculls, but only marginally ahead of NED03, Hollandia Roeiclub colleagues Linn Van Aanholt and Claire De Kok. We’ll see them go head-to-head again in the final this afternoon.

The second heat did not see another Dutch win though. It was a win for the Lobnig sisters of the Austrian Rowing Team. Katharina and Magdalena took silver last year but in this heat finished ahead of the Dutch boat that are the reigning Champions. Janneke Van Der Meulen took third place, behind Annelise Hahl and Christine Cavallo of Next Level Rowing (USA01) who suffered a crab during their race.