2026 World Rowing Cup III: Crews to Watch

The 2026 World Rowing Cup season comes to its traditional conclusion this weekend, with 42 nations and more than 650 athletes heading to the Lake of the Gods – the Rotsee in Lucerne.

The huge entry – including a whopping 35 men’s single scullers and 26 crews in the men’s double sculls – will race to decide the overall and individual event World Rowing Cup winners for 2026.

While Italy, New Zealand and Romania among others are sitting Lucerne out, other nations are tweaking their line-ups ahead of the 2026 European and World Rowing Championships still to come.

The men’s single sculls is truly an impressive entry list, headlined by Olympic champion Oliver Zeidler (GER). Zeidler will be up against both the Olympic silver and bronze medallists Yauheni Zalaty (AIN) and Simon van Dorp (NED). Van Dorp was recently named in the Dutch double set to race at the 2026 World Rowing Championships alongside Melvin Twellaar, but the duo are both racing singles in Lucerne.

With the Dutch, who won the men’s double sculls at World Rowing Cup I in Seville, and the Sinkovic brothers (CRO), who won at World Rowing Cup II in Plovdiv, both missing, Belgium’s Aaron Andries and Tibo Vyvey are in pole position for the individual event win in Lucerne if they can reach the podium again. The Belgians won a brilliant silver in Seville, but upsets could come from the likes of Serbia’s world silver medallists or the fast Chinese double. Also look out for Valentin Onfroy and Hugo Boucheron (FRA), who raced this boat class together in 2023; Boucheron is the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion and a former world champion in this event.

In the women’s single sculls, the anticipated showdown between world champion Fiona Murtagh (IRL), Olympic champion Karolien Florijn, and European champion and World Rowing Cup I winner Lauren Henry (GBR) should take place this time – after Florijn suffered a technical mishap in Seville that meant she did not finish her heat. But the field is packed with quality and scullers who could make the final.

The women’s quadruple sculls is intriguing. Seville winners Germany are back unchanged, but the USA, who won in Plovdiv, are not entered. Great Britain, second in Seville, have brought in Olympic lightweight women’s double sculls champion Imogen Grant into the stroke seat, in her first international regatta since Paris 2024, with Sarah McKay moving into the double.

China, who won bronze in Plovdiv, are also racing, while the Netherlands has combined the two women’s doubles that raced in Seville. And Greece has an exciting crew, combining 2025 world junior and under-23 medallists Varvara Lykomitrou and Eleni Diavati with world and Olympic medallist Zoi Fitsiou, and the experienced Christina Bourmpou.

The men’s fours is another fascinating event. World champions Great Britain remain the crew to beat, but China’s new exciting young combination could be in the mix again. Seville medallists France and the Netherlands will want to push the Chinese off the podium, and the USA have brought two line-ups, both different from the four that raced in Plovdiv.

The USA have also rejigged their women’s four. Azja Czajowski is the only remaining crew member from the boat that won in Plovdiv, but she is reunited with Teal Cohen and Kate Knifton. Cohen and Knifton won the women’s pair in Plovdiv but also, alongside Czajowski, the women’s four at the 2025 World Rowing Championships. Molly Bruggeman completes the line-up. They will get to test their speed against the Netherlands and Australia who impressed in Seville.

Heats will be needed for both the men’s and women’s eights, with eight and seven entries respectively – including unchanged crews from the Netherlands and Australia, winners in Seville, and the USA women’s eight, who won in Plovdiv. Australia have entered a second women’s eight from their development squad, which includes 38-year-old World Cup debutant Gabriela Morton van Eybergen – her sister Samantha is in the first crew.

Both lightweight single sculls events should be competitive again, with Chiu Hin Chun (HKG) the only lightweight men’s single sculler who has made a podium this year – second at World Rowing Cup I. In contrast, both 2026 World Rowing Cup winners so far will race the lightweight women’s single sculls. While Seville winner Kenia Lechuga (MEX) turns 32 on Friday 26 June, Plovdiv winner Kim Jiseon (KOR1) is just 18. Seville silver and bronze medallists Isobel Clements (IRL) and Femke van de Vliet (NED1) are also likely to be contesting for medals.

Lucerne also sees the season debut for many para-rowers. The PR1 men’s single sculls has attracted nine entries, including Paralympic, world and European champion Benjamin Pritchard (GBR). Pritchard recently became the first PR1 athlete to break 7 minutes for 2000m on the indoor rowing machine, and gets to renew his long rivalry with world bronze medallist Erik Horrie (AUS), among others.

World best time holders Valentin Luz and Kathrin Marchand (GER) are the pick of the bunch in the PR3 mixed double sculls; Marchand returned to the water earlier this year after becoming the first athlete to compete at both the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Winter Paralympic Games.

Racing in Lucerne begins on Friday 26 June at 09:05 CEST.