First Shanghai semifinals produce fireworks

Day 3 of the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai produced incredibly tight finishes in the three events contesting semifinals.

With medal hopes at stake, form from the heats was overturned – and the lightweight single scullers also got their competitions underway.

Experience pays in light singles

In the lightweight women’s single sculls, it was the older, more experienced scullers who produced the quickest times in the heats. The USA’s Michelle Sechser, who turns 39 in just over a month, was the fastest through to the semifinals in 7:33.64. Mexican Kenia Lechuga, winner of both World Rowing Cups this year, was a couple of seconds slower winning heat 1 ahead of Canadian Karissa Riley and former world champion Siobhan McCrohan (Ireland) – who is also 38 years old.

On the men’s side, Austrian Julian Schoeberl posted the fastest time (6:54.46) to win heat 2, with China’s Gu Jiantao edging Jake McCarthy (Ireland) into third. However, McCarthy still posted the third fastest time of the event. World under 23 champion in this event, Halil Kaan Koroglu, also looked impressive winning heat 3.

Upsets in pairs semis

Romania’s men’s and women’s pairs both won their respective semifinals, but although the finish margin for Maria Magdalena Rusa and Simona Radis was relatively comfortable they were challenged hard in the opening stages by Czechia and then Italy. The Romanians had moved into first by 1500m and won by six seconds, with Great Britain’s Elizabeth Witt and Jade Lindo producing a great last 500m to push the Czechs out of contention. In semifinal 2, Serbia’s Jovana Arsic and Elena Orjabinskaja held off Chile for third, behind France and the USA.

Florin Arteni and Florin Lehaci won semifinal 2 of the men’s event in the quickest time of the two races, with New Zealand taking the first semifinal – both winning comfortably. France, who had won their heat, were pushed out of the final by a superb second half from Lithuania. Ireland outsprinted the Netherlands in semifinal 1 for the last qualifying spot, denying Ralf Rienks a final place on his 28th birthday.

Italy and Great Britain set up thrilling quad final

With five seconds splitting the six finalists in the men’s quadruple sculls, the medals could still go to any crew – but Great Britain and Italy continue to lead the pack. Italy won their semifinal in 5:43.89 and were able to look back and cruise the last 500m as the USA and Ukraine battled for second.

In the second semifinal Poland had a blistering first 500m, but Great Britain’s consistent pace through the race took them into the lead just after halfway and they won in 5:42.55, ahead of Poland and Germany.