First 2026 World Rowing Cup medals won, and A-finals set

A second day of racing at 2026 World Rowing Cup I in Seville produced a series of superb semifinals followed by the first medal races of the event, leaving Hong Kong, China at the top of the medal table before the Olympic-class finals on Sunday.

Veloso makes his mark

At just 18 years old, Joao Veloso is one of the youngest athletes racing in Seville – but he displayed immense maturity in the lightweight men’s single sculls final. Veloso started slowly but worked his way through the pack and had overtaken early leader Chiu Hin Chun (HKG) by 1500m. Chiu had no response, and Veloso earned a five-second victory on his maiden international outing. Chiu took second, and Mikita Karneyeu (AIN) hung on for third despite almost coming to a stop in the red buoys.

Results: POR, HKG, AIN, ARG, USA, VEN

Veloso said: “It felt amazing. I have been training for a long time, since I was 11, but it’s a totally different experience to race at a World Cup and especially to medal at my first World Cup, I’m completely stoked.”

Lechuga back on top

Resplendent in her pink boat, pink rowing suit and pink scrunchie, Mexico’s Kenia Lechuga attacked the final of the lightweight women’s single sculls from the first stroke and took her third World Rowing Cup victory after winning both regattas in 2025 and adding world championship bronze. The silver and bronze medallists, Isobel Clements (IRL) and Femke van de Vliet (NED) both had slower starts, but rowed through into medal contention by halfway. Clements held off van de Vliet to take silver and the Dutch sculler claimed bronze, both of them winning their first-ever World Rowing Cup medals.

Results: MEX, IRL, NED, BRA, URU2, AIN

Lechuga said: “I’m so happy, because I feel more stronger when I’m older. I really feel like home here, I have a lot of people who love me and support me.”

Two golds for Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong, China, earned the win in both the lightweight women’s and men’s double sculls finals. The youngest competitor at the regatta, 17-year-old Cheung Yeun Shan, and her doubles partner Leung Wing Wun rowed through Venezuela’s fast first half to claim the win, while Lam San Tung and Chan Tik Lun were also down out of the blocks but took an open water victory on the line.

LW2x results: HKG, VEN

LM2x results: HKG, VEN

Leung said: “The race was so exciting. We are so close and then we were just thinking about doing the best for ourselves.”

Lam said: “It’s a pretty tough race. It’s our very first time to try this combination, and especially in very hot conditions. I think we did a pretty good job, we adapted to the hot weather and we managed very well.”

Henry and Zeidler looking strong

The single sculls semifinals threw up some surprise results, but what was not a surprise was that Lauren Henry (GBR) and Oliver Zeidler (GER) were at the sharp end of their races. Henry controlled a fast start from Emma Lunatti (FRA) to take the lead in her semifinal, with world champion Fiona Murtagh (IRL) coming in third. In the second semi-final, Roos de Jong (NED2) and Viktorija Senkute (LTU) were bowball for bowball down most of the track, Senkute eventually clinching a narrow win. Alexandra Foester (GER1) completes the line-up.

Zeidler won his semi-final fairly comfortably and did not need to push into the finish, but his perennial rival Yauheni Zalaty (AIN) was faster in the second semi-final. All six scullers in the race were in contention for the final until 1500m, when Bruno Cetraro (URU) started slipping back. Into the sprint, Aleix Garcia (ESP) and Dovydas Nemeravicius (LTU) had the most speed and clinched the second and third spots behind Zalaty.

In the earlier minor finals, world champion Stefanos Ntouskos (GRE) won his D-final, saying afterwards his training had been limited recently by a back injury.

Pairs set for spicy finals

The women’s pairs semi-finals were also close. Semifinal 1 was won by Chile’s Abraham twins, who have arrived in Seville in their best form for some time. They beat Lithuania and Australia, with the rest of the field a little further back. Meanwhile world silver medallists Emma Cornelis and Hezekia Peron (FRA) produced an awesome last 500m to overhaul Czechia in the second semi-final, while Romania 3 beat Romania 1 in the race for the final qualifying spot.

World champions Oliver Welch and Benjamin Taylor’s first 1000m in the men’s pair semifinal was enough to enable them to control the second half of the race, as Spain and Switzerland fought for second and third. But they will have to look out for Romania 1’s Stefan Berariu and Florian Lehaci, who were very quick in winning semifinal 2 ahead of Lithuania and a delighted Slovenia.

Doubles live up to expectations

The men’s and women’s double sculls have produced some of the most exciting racing of the regatta so far, and that continued in the semifinals. The Dutch men’s double sculls crew of Melvin Twellaar and Simon van Dorp produced the quickest time in the two races, under pressure throughout from Spain, who in turn were overhauled by Belgium in the sprint – but secured a place in the final. The first semifinal was more straightforward, with Serbia’s Martin Mackovic and Nikolaj Pimenov leading Poland and Great Britain through each timing point.

On the women’s side, it looked like former world champions and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis were in trouble early in their semifinal – but the Romanians stayed calm to unleash a phenomenal second half that took them through for the win, ahead of Ireland 1 and Poland. Ireland’s second double also reached the final, qualifying second behind Netherlands 1 (Lisa Bruijnincx and Tessa Dullemans) and ahead of Switzerland.

Brits and Dutch in control

As in the heats, the British men’s four showed a lot of speed early in their semifinal, taking a big enough lead early on that they did not have to sprint for the finish – even as Romania 1 and Denmark pushed on to them. In a similar picture in semifinal 2, the Netherlands had a length’s advantage at 1500m and did not have to unleash all their power. France took second place, and New Zealand got the better of Lithuania for third.

Quads close semifinals with a bang

The men’s quadruple sculls ended the semifinal session. Semifinal 1 was quicker than semifinal 2 but both were close. The Netherlands took the win in the first race, 0.21 seconds up on Germany who in turn were fending off Czechia on the outside. Great Britain missed out by 1.1 seconds. Romania took the win in semifinal 2, just over a second up on Poland 1 with Croatia holding off Estonia.