Daily digest: Golden day for Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan soared to the top of the medal standings on day 2 of 2026 World Rowing Cup II in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, with two gold medals and one silver as the finals got underway.

No mistakes for Uzbekistan

After winning the preliminary race comfortably, Mukhayyo Abdusattorova and Diyorbek Boybolsinov (UZB) took gold in the PR2 mixed double sculls final, cruising home to a fairly comfortable win over Merve Sezer and Yigit Bozkurt of Türkiye.

Results: UZB, TUR

Another win for Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan made it back-to-back victories with a win in the lightweight men’s double sculls, after a strong row from Shakhzod Nurmatov and Sobirjon Safaroliyev. There was nothing to pick between Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Venezuela at 500m but the Uzbeks – reunited in the double after racing this event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – showed their experience in the middle of the race, and claimed a good win. Cesar Amaris and Jose Guipe (VEN) won silver and Ziya Mammazada and Nurlan Pashayev (AZE) bronze.

Results: UZB, VEN, AZE, KOR

Mammazada said: “It’s my first medal in the World Cup. I’m so happy. Tomorrow is my father’s birthday – I won this medal for my father.”

Korea’s Kim makes stunning debut

18-year-old Kim Jiseon (KOR1) made her senior international debut at last year’s World Rowing Championships, but Plovdiv was her first World Rowing Cup – and she started things off with a great win over Kimberlin Meneses (VEN2), who at 37 is twice Kim’s age. Meneses took silver, and there were two Venezuelans on the podium with bronze for Keyla Garcia (VEN1) over Ahn Heeju (KOR2).

Results: KOR1, VEN2, VEN1, KOR2

Gold at last for Khmara

Igor Khmara started the lightweight men’s single sculls final with intent, storming off the line, and that gave him an early lead which he never relinquished. Khmara looked comfortable ahead of the field throughout the race and took an open-water victory – his first World Rowing Cup medal in a long career, although he has both World Rowing Championships and World Rowing Coastal Championships medals to his name already. Firdavs Akhunov (UZB) claimed silver, a great start to his international career, and Venezuela’s Jonas Diaz, in his second World Cup race, picked up bronze.

Results: UKR, UZB, VEN, MDA

Heats results shaken up

The men’s single sculls semifinals produced some surprises. Pavel Sorin (UZB1) was unable to replicate his winning performance from the heat, and trailed in fifth in the first semifinal. That was won by Gabriel Soares (ITA), looking solid in his step up to heavyweight racing, ahead of under-23 world champion Cevdet Ege Mutlu (TUR) and Mihai Chiruta (ROU). Jacob Plihal (USA2) led to halfway in the second semifinal, chased hard by teammate Samuel Melvin (USA1). Behind them, Shakhboz Kholmurzaev (UZB2) had the edge over Chilean Andoni Habash.

World champions look unbeatable

New Zealand’s Oliver Welch and Benjamin Taylor continue to dominate in the men’s pair, easing to a five-second victory over USA2 and USA1 in their semifinal. The second semifinal was won by Italy over Serbia, with China a comfortable third.

China fastest, Sinkovics through

China 1’s Yi Xudi and Deng Zhiwei again posted the fastest time in the men’s double sculls, winning their semifinal over Martin and Valent Sinkovic (CRO), who were second with Italy 1 third in the second semifinal. New Zealand’s Finlay Hamill and Benjamin Mason won the first semifinal in a slightly slower time, with the USA coming through from lane 6 for second, and Romania taking third ahead of Chile.

USA, Italy in front in eights prelims

The USA won the women’s eights preliminary race ahead of China, but their men’s eight was not able to make it two from two. After leading to 500m the USA slipped back and Italy took the win, with China second. However, with all the USA athletes doubling up, the final could be different.