Tuesday Debrief: Riding the waves in Genoa

The first of two events in Genoa, Italy, concluded yesterday as the last races of the 2024 World Rowing Coastal Championships were completed. The World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals will begin on Thursday 12 September. There was a change to the racing schedule due to forecast adverse weather conditions with the A Finals being raced a day earlier than planned. Crews faced challenging conditions throughout the competition.

Trading places again

After going head-to-head all of the way in the final at last year’s World Rowing Coastal Championships in Barletta, it exactly the same two boats at the front of the field in this year’s final of the women’s double sculls. However, this year, the order was reversed!  Katharina and Magdalena Lobnig of the Austrian Rowing Team got revenge this year over Janneke Van Der Meulen of Hollandia Roeiclub (Netherlands).

“It’s the most special thing you can imagine. We are sisters. We do everything together. We had a very hard season and that we have such a nice ending is so special for us. We are really happy together!”

New names in men’s solos

There were very familiar names on the podium for the women’s solos with Monika Dukarska of Ireland’s Kilorglin Rowing Club defending her title. However, the podium for the men’s solos was full of names relatively new to coastal rowing – and two of last year’s medallists, who have been on the coastal rowing scene much longer, missed out on the podium this year.

Finlay Hamill of Zealand became this year’s World Champion while the silver and bronze medallists went to two Italian athletes from separate clubs  – Davide Mumolo of Gruppo Sportivo della Polizia di Stato “Fiamme Oro” (ITA01) won silver while and Gabriele Loconsole of Canottieri Cernobbio 1901 ASD (ITA02) took bronze.

Double Dutch delight for Florijn family

Of the 25 competitors who came to Genoa having just raced at the Paris 2024 Olympic Regatta, two of them were from the Florijn family! Finn joined forces with Leonard Van Lierop in the men’s double sculls – both having won gold in the men’s quadruple scull in Paris. While Beer Florijn raced in the same boat class with Jan Van Der Bij, who had won silver in the men’s eight in Paris. All four came together to race the men’s quadruple sculls, and they won bronze after sprinting through the field in the closing stages.

Meanwhile, Karolien Florijn, who recently became Olympic Champion in the women’s single sculls, also raced in both the double sculls and the quadruple sculls; the former with Marieke Keijser. The duo won gold in the women’s quadruple sculls alongside Sophie Souwer, Kiri English-Hawke and (cox) Dieuwke Fetter.

All three Florijns will be back in action again in a few days for the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals. Karolien and Flinn will join forces to race the mixed double sculls, while Beer will race in the mixed quadruple sculls.

Final positions

Across the seven boat classes, Clubs from eleven different nations secured medals. The Central Sports Club of the Army of Ukraine took two of the golds while there were four medals in total for Clubs from the Netherlands – one gold, one silver and two bronze.

Next up, beach sprints!

Whilst some were only in Genoa for the Coastal Championships, some will stay for the Beach Sprint Finals which begin in a couple of days time, and lots more competitors will arrive too!

Those staying in Genoa to race again include Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion Emma Twigg who took bronze in the women’s quadruple scull at the Coastal Championships and will team up with a crew including the gold medalist in the men’s solo, Finlay Hamill, to race the mixed quadruple sculls.

Having won gold in the women’s solo at the Coastal Championships, Ireland’s Monika Dukarska will race in the same boat class at the beach sprints, hoping to improve on her fourth place finish from last year. However, Janneke Van Der Meulen, who won last year, will also race again this year.

The full entries for the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals can be seen here.