The Dutch eight are the World Rowing Women’s Crew of the Year for 2025

Women’s Eight, The Netherlands

Linn Van Aanholt, Nika Vos, Lisanne Van Der Lelij, Vera Sneijders, Hermine Drenth, Ilse Kolkman, Ymkje Clevering, Tinka Offereins and Dieuwke Fetter

As the Netherlands women’s eight crossed the finish line in the final at the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, they became the first Dutch women’s eight to win world championship gold.

This gold-medal performance marked a breakthrough moment for the crew. For a nation that regularly medals at both the World Championships and Olympic Games, gold for the women’s eight had eluded them.

This feat was especially memorable as the crew only came together in 2025. The coach brought together a mix of Olympic experienced rowers and new talented rowers who joined the team after the Dutch trials in February 2025.

Ymkje Clevering had transitioned from the Olympic Champion pair. Vera Sneijders and Linn van Aanholt are just a couple of years out of under-23s and can Aanholt has already made her mark in coastal rowing. Nika Vos crossed over from a rowing career dominated by sculling. Lisanne van der Lelij was only in her second year on the national team. Hermine Drenth and Tinka Offereins raced in the Paris Olympic Champion four. Ilse Kolkman was in the 2024 pair and four but did not make the Olympic team. Dieuwke Fetter moved from coxing the Paris Olympic men’s silver medal-winning crew and into this women’s boat.

Built on a season-long rise to the top of the world, the eight ensured all elements were in place for the win at the World Rowing Championships. Despite finishing second in the heats, the Dutch led from start to finish in the final, keeping a handy margin and ensuring they were uncatchable.

“We started the race (world championship final) without any doubt,” says Fetter. “Really fierce and eager. All focused on the job each of us had from start to the finish line (except Vera, who missed the last two strokes of the race 🫶🏻).”

Their first international race together was the 2025 European Rowing Championships. The crew left with a silver medal and confident in the knowledge that they had enough speed and power to succeed at the World Championships and doing it with half the crew competing in the four as well.

“One of the challenges was that half of the boat also started in the four and the other half not. So what boat had priority?” says Offereins. “We often discussed this question together and we could be really open about having both boats as a priority. The eight was not an afterthought, but a real priority for everyone.”

The crew found out about winning the award through coxswain Dieuwke and their first impressions turned out to be mixed.

“To be honest,” says Offereins, “the first reaction after telling the whole crew was a bit disappointing because everyone thought Dieuwke was going to tell us that she was pregnant. But then a few moments later Dieuwke also told us: ‘ok and I am also pregnant’. So eventually we were very happy with two pieces of big news!!!”

And the secret to success?

“Not rowing in the eight ALL the time kept us sane and still liking each other. We split up in smaller boats and then we’re always happy to get back in the eight.”