2025 European Rowing Championships: crews to watch

It has been eight months since the last major international regatta – the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games – and after a long winter’s training, it is time for new-look crews to take to the water at the 2025 season opener in Bulgaria.

The 2025 European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv (29 May-1 June) will see 198 crews from 32 nations compete for the medals across 21 events. And with relatively few reigning European, world or Olympic champions back, expect to see a lot of new faces breaking on to the podium.

Women’s Pair (W2-)

11 entries

The women’s pair line-up looks completely fresh compared to the last few seasons, but there are some exciting crews entered in Plovdiv, such as Romania’s duo of Simona Radis and Maria Magdalena Rusu. Stroke and bow respectively from the Olympic champion women’s eight, neither have raced a pair at a senior regatta, but both have the pedigree in sweep rowing. They are up against Dutch Olympic champion from the women’s four, Hermijntje Drenth, rowing with Vera Sneijders, who won the B-final in this event at last year’s European Rowing Championships. Meanwhile reigning European women’s single sculls champion Jovana Arsic has switched to sweep. She races with Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist Elena Orjanbinskaja, who is making her debut for Serbia after previously representing Russia.

Men’s Pair (M2-)

14 entries

Florin Lehaci and Florin Arteni of Romania won European silver last year, and are one of a few unchanged crews in the men’s pair. They also reached the Olympic final, finishing fourth ahead of Spain’s Jaime Canalejo and Javier Garcia. Ireland’s Ross Corrigan was sixth in this event in Paris, and for Plovdiv has joined forces with Olympic men’s double sculls bronze medallist Daire Lynch. Among the other entries, the Lithuanian Stankunas twins, Dovydas and Domantas, are also an established pairing, and are one of two sets of brothers racing this event – the others being Greece’s Dimitrios and Zisis Boukouvalas.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

10 entries

Greece’s lightweight women’s double sculls Olympic bronze medallists, Dimitra Kontou and Zoi Fitsiou, are racing openweight now in the wake of the lightweight event’s removal from the Olympic programme. This is their first opportunity to test their speed against the competition, which includes half of the Dutch quadruple sculls crew that won silver in Paris – Roos de Jong and Tessa Dullemans. Ireland are also fielding a pair of Olympians, with former lightweight Margaret Cremen now teaming up with Zoe Hyde.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

20 entries

The men’s double sculls has attracted a deep field of entries, headlined by Olympic and European champions Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache of Romania. France’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Hugo Boucheron is also back, now racing with Victor Marcelot. Look out too for several big former lightweight names: Irish Olympic lightweight men’s double sculls champion Fintan McCarthy, racing with European championship debutant Konan Pazzaia; Olympic silver medallist Gabriel Soares, partnered with Niels Torre for Italy; Olympic bronze medallists Antonios Papakonstantinou and Petros Gkaidatzis of Greece; and reigning European lightweight double sculls champion Raphael Ahumada, racing for Switzerland with Kai Schaetzle, who has come out of the men’s four.

Women’s Four (W4-)

6 entries

Olympic champion Tinka Offereins is the only returning member of the Dutch crew which snatched a superb gold in Paris last summer, but the boat is packed with experience including Olympic and world women’s pair champion, Ymkje Clevering, and 2024 European bronze medallist Nika Vos. Chief among their rivals for the podium are Romania, featuring 2024 European silver medallist Maria Lehaci and Adriana Adam – both of whom won Olympic gold in the women’s eight. 2024 European champions Great Britain are also sending a new-look crew, including three members of the eight which won bronze at the Olympics.

Men’s Four (M4-)

11 entries

All eyes in the men’s four will surely be on Croatia, as three-time Olympic champions Martin and Valent Sinkovic attempt success in yet another boat class. The brothers have joined forces with younger sibling duo Patrik and Anton Loncaric. Great Britain are defending champions, but have a new combination this year; the Netherlands have loaded their boat with pedigree including world and Olympic men’s quadruple sculls champion Finn Florijn; and Romania have gone for continuity, with the same line-up as they fielded in Paris.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)

17 entries

In the absence of reigning champion Jovana Arsic, three-time under-23 world champion and 2024 European silver medallist Alexandra Foester (Germany) could be optimistic of her first senior title in Plovdiv. But she will have to overcome a stacked field, including Paris 2024 bronze medallist Viktoria Senkute of Lithuania, 2022 European silver medallist Evangelia Anastasiadou of Greece, the experienced Virginia Dias Rivas of Spain, and two Olympic champions – Great Britain’s Lauren Henry, who won gold in the women’s quadruple sculls, and Dutch rower Benthe Boonstra, who won the women’s four.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)

24 entries

This is the biggest event in the regatta, and a new gold medallist is guaranteed as Olympic, world and European champion Oliver Zeidler is absent. However last year’s European silver and bronze medallists, Stefanos Ntouskos (Greece) and Giedrius Bieliauskas (Lithuania) are competing, as is Olympic silver medallist Yauheni Zalaty (AIN). Local fans will be cheering on Kristian Vasiliev, while the likes of Belgium’s Tim Brys and Romania’s Mihai Chiruta can never be counted out.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

10 entries

There have been plenty of changes in line-ups in the women’s quadruple sculls over the winter. Great Britain are reigning European, world and Olympic champions, but only Lola Anderson returns from that crew, which now also includes Olympic women’s double sculls bronze medallist Rebecca Wilde. Half of Ukraine’s European silver medallist crew are back, as are half of Germany’s boat that won bronze at the 2024 European Rowing Championships. Expect the Netherlands and Switzerland also to be challenging for medals.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

13 entries

Andrea Panizza and Giacomo Gentili return to defend Italy’s title in the men’s quadruple sculls; both were also in the boat that won silver in Paris, as was Luca Rambaldi. The Netherlands are the Olympic and world champions in this boat class, but have revamped their crew, now led by Olympic men’s single sculls bronze medallist Simon van Dorp. Poland have again entered a strong-looking combination anchored by 2024 European bronze medallist Dominik Czaja, while it will be interesting to see whether Great Britain can bounce back from fourth place at both the 2024 European Rowing Championships and the Olympic Games.

Women’s Eight (W8+)

7 entries

A number of rowers are doubling up in the women’s eight and other events, including several of the Romanians – but as they also did this in Paris, and still secured gold, the rest of Europe should beware. Six of the nine Olympic and European champions return for Plovdiv. Meanwhile Great Britain took European silver and Olympic bronze last year, and three rowers remain in their crew. The Dutch, who did not field an eight last season, are also doubling up in other events. And it is good to see entries from the likes of Ukraine and Poland in this event, as well as Italy, back after their historic Olympic debut last summer.

Men’s Eight (M8+)

7 entries

Great Britain have dominated the men’s eight in recent seasons, but the European champions have put together an entirely new crew this year – albeit one including the likes of Matt Aldridge, a former world and European champion and Olympic bronze medallist in the men’s four. There is a little more continuity in the German and Dutch crews, both containing returning members of the boats that won silver in Szeged and Paris respectively behind the British. The Netherlands have added Olympic men’s quadruple sculls champion Lennart van Lierop to their eight for Plovdiv. Romania and Italy are also likely to be in the conversation for the medals.

Lightweight events

The biggest entry in the lightweight events is the lightweight men’s single sculls, which has attracted nine scullers. Germany’s Fabio Kress is the only competitor who has previously won senior championship medals, with bronze and silver from the lightweight quadruple sculls at the last two World Rowing Championships. Türkiye’s Halil Koroglu won gold in the men’s single sculls at the 2023 World Rowing Under 19 Championships and is still just 19 years old; Alexandr Matronitchi (MDA) and Mads Reite (NOR) are only 18. Ireland’s Jacob McCarthy was sixth at last year’s European Rowing Championships.

Moldova’s lightweight men’s pair are double world bronze medallists and European bronze medallists, making them the favourites in a four-boat field; the lightweight men’s double sculls is a straight final between Austria and Germany. In the lightweight women’s single sculls, six scullers race including Olympian Lara Tiefenthaler of Austria; Norway’s Maia Lund achieved the best result in this event last year, finishing fifth.

PR1 Women’s Single Sculls (PR1 W1x)

4 entries

Still only 24 years old, Ukraine’s Anna Sheremet has been a contender in the PR1 women’s single sculls for several years. In the absence of all three Paralympic medallists, Sheremet – fourth in Paris, and fifth at last year’s European Rowing Championships – will be the hot favourite in Plovdiv, ahead of fellow Paralympian Claire Ghiringhelli.

PR1 Men’s Single Sculls (PR1 M1x)

10 entries

This is a tasty line-up of entries, featuring Paralympic champion Benjamin Pritchard of Great Britain, world and European champion Roman Polianskyi of Ukraine, and Italy’s Giacomo Perini, silver medallist last year. Other familiar names include France’s Alexis Sanchez, Germany’s Marcus Klemp, and Israeli Shmuel Daniel – while Bram Graus of the Netherlands makes his international debut.

PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (PR2 Mix2x)

3 entries

Paralympic bronze medallists Shahar Milfelder and Saleh Shahin of Israel lead the charge in the PR2 mixed double sculls, up against last year’s European silver medallists Jasmina Bier and Paul Umbach (Germany), and European bronze medallists Anna Aisanova and Iaroslav Koiuda (Ukraine).

PR3 Mixed Double Sculls (PR3 Mix2x)

5 entries

Reigning European champions Samuel Murray and Annabel Caddick of Great Britain return to defend their title, after also winning Paralympic silver last year. They face a quality field. Ukraine’s Dariia Kotyk and Stanislav Samoliuk won bronze in Szeged and finished fourth at the Paralympics in this boat class, while Germany’s new combination of Valentin Luz and Kathrin Marchand have both come out of the PR3 mixed coxed four that narrowly missed Paralympic bronze. Spain and an AIN double make up the field.