Brace of home golds for China as first world champions crowned in Shanghai

The first medal races at the 2025 World Rowing Championships delivered surprises, with a new generation stepping up for glory on a hot and humid Shanghai day.

Both of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games quadruple sculls silver medallists improved to world gold, Romania made good on their promise in the women’s pair, and New Zealand have found a Kiwi pair to succeed their past champions.

Meanwhile China end the day atop the medal table after two gold medals in the lightweight double sculls.

China open home World Rowing Championships with victory

After taking the win in the lightweight women’s double sculls preliminary race, Zou Jiaqi and Fu Ling of China made no mistakes in the final. They had taken clear water over Peru and Tunisia by halfway, and kept stretching out that lead for a comfortable victory. The race for silver was much closer. The Palacios twins of Peru were put under significant pressure from the Tunisian double, and in the closing 500m Khadija Krimi and Selma Daouadi had indeed rowed through Peru into silver-medal position. That was the way the race finished, with a first-ever World Championships medal for Tunisia. Hong Kong, China were fourth and Indonesia fifth.

Fu said: “I’m very happy, this is my first time, and I won a medal. I am very nervous.“

Result: CHN, TUN, PER, HKG, INA

Another gold for China in lightweight doubles

Li Yawei and Sun Man would not have known about their teammates’ success in the lightweight women’s double sculls before racing, but they won the lightweight men’s double sculls in the same dominant fashion. But the margins were fairly tight for the minor medals. Ali Mardiansyah and Rafiq Wijdan Yasir closed the gap on China into the finish as they raced to hold on to silver, the first-ever World Rowing Championships medal for their nation in any boat class. Germany’s Joachim Agne and Paul Maissenhaelter could not do better than bronze.

Li said: “I feel all right, I can do better. We were still a little bit nervous, we can do even better.”

Result: CHN, INA, GER, GEO

Radis and Rusu add women’s pair world title to achievements

Romania’s Maria Magdalena Rusu and Simona Radis already have plenty of medals in their cabinets, but they added another on Thursday in the women’s pair in Shanghai. Leading through every marker, the Romanians made it clear that gold was their only target. The key was their consistency, with a base pace that across the whole race nobody else could match. Behind them, however, the medal positions kept changing. European silver medallists Laura Meriano and Alice Codato of Italy were second to 500m but had been overhauled by France’s Emma Cornelis and Hezekia Peron by halfway. The French then came under significant pressure from Jess Thoennes and Holly Drapp of the USA, who caught Italy in the third 500m and produced the fastest closing 500m for bronze. This was France’s first medal in this event since 1995.

Radis said: “I’m pretty happy, I enjoyed the result and am grateful for it, because it was a year with a lot of injuries and illness. These problems made us stronger and we did the goal. For us it’s a great day.“

Result: ROU, FRA, USA, ITA, SRB, GBR

Chile won the B-final convincingly ahead of Czechia and Switzerland.

Kiwis back on top in men’s pairs

New Zealand have a strong legacy in the men’s pairs, and they have a new generation of world champions after Oliver Welch and Benjamin Taylor shot out of the blocks in the final. They had a lead of over two seconds by halfway and stayed in front to the finish, eventually winning by almost five seconds. Behind them, European champions Romania could not stick with the pace and they found themselves under immense pressure from the Swiss pair of Jonah Plock and Patrick Brunner into the line. The Swiss, however, had left things slightly too late, despite putting out the fastest second 1000m in the field, and had to settle for bronze.

Taylor said: “It means a lot. After getting silver at World Cup II to the Romanians, it was a big driver to go home and really get the work done. I thought each day we did that perfectly, so to get the rewards now is pretty awesome.“

Result: NZL, ROU, SUI, ESP, LTU, IRL

The B-final win went to France, after Florian Ludwig and Alistair Gicqueau rowed through the Netherlands’ Rienks’ brothers. Sweden were a close third.

Dutch become new queens of quads

After three successive major championships – the 2023 World Rowing Championships, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and the 2025 European Rowing Championships – where the British women’s quadruple sculls came out ahead of the Dutch, in Shanghai the tables were turned. The Netherlands’ start was the secret to their win, as they set a blistering pace that took them two seconds clear of the field by 500m in. The British countered, with a fantastic middle 1000m, halving the gap to the Dutch by 1500m, but the Netherlands had done enough and crossed the line half a length up. Germany took bronze, in a sign of resurgence in a boat class which they once dominated.

The Netherlands’ Margot Leeuwenburgh said: “This was actually our first World Championships. We had a dream when we came here, but you never know what’s going to happen, so it’s something special to get gold in your first World Championships. By the 1000m line we thought this could be it, then it was just racing to the end.“

Result: NED, GBR, GER, ROU, NZL, CAN

Poland won the B-final, ahead of Ukraine and Switzerland, after the Swiss led early on.

Italy storm to world quads gold

In a very similar race to the women’s quadruple sculls, the eventual champions – Italy – shot out of the blocks and established a half-length lead over Poland in second by 500m. They stretched out to a length by halfway. Once again, the race for the minor medals was key; the USA and Great Britain had both caught Poland at 1000m, but while the British moved into another gear, gaining ground on Italy, Poland and the USA could not stick with it and slipped back. Poland had the better endurance and overtook the USA once more to stay in the medal hunt. At the finish, Italy had improved on their 2023 World Rowing Championships and Paris 2024 Olympic Games silver medals, Britain were back on the world podium with silver, and Poland picked up another bronze to add to their 2023 medal.

Italy’s Luca Chiumento said: “I feel amazing. I have to say that it’s wonderful to share the podium and the gold medal with these guys here. I love it so much, these guys, we share really good moments, sometimes bad. I’m very happy.”

Result: ITA, GBR, POL, USA, GER, UKR

China finished seventh overall with their B-final win; Spain claimed eighth with their closing sprint to take them clear of Romania.