Boat Class Preview: Athletes and Crews to Watch in Varese

Europe’s best rowers are ready to race in Varese, with established champions aiming to defend their status and emerging stars looking to make their mark. From the singles through to the eights, plus the championship debut of the mixed events, here’s a quick preview across every boat class taking to the waters of Lake Varese.

OLYMPIC BOAT CLASSES

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)
World Best Time: 6:30.74 New Zealand, 2017, Robbie Manson
European Best Time: 6:38.51 AIN, 2025, Yauheni Zalaty

It will be hard to look past Stefanos Ntouskos in the single. He’s the reigning World Champion and also finished second at last year’s European Championships. Stiff competition will come from Yauheni Zalaty, the reigning European Champion, and this season Yauheni has two silver medals from two World Cups. But the one to beat will be Germany’s Oliver Zeidler.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)
World Best Time: 7:07.71 Bulgaria, 2002, Rumyana Neykova
European Best Time: 7:09.76 Great Britain, 2025, Lauren Henry

Is this the season of Lauren Henry of Great Britain? She has won both World Cups she entered this season. However, there are 15 other countries entered and they won’t be giving Henry an easy ride in the quest for European medals. Watch out for Viktorija Senkute of Lithuania and Serbia’s Jovana Arsic. Both have medalled already this season at the World Cup races.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)
World Best Time: 5:59.72 Martin Sinkovic, Valent Sinkovic, Croatia, 2014
European Best Time: 6:00.79 Romania, 2025, Marian Enache, Andrei Cornea

A large field of 18 nations line up with the Sinkovic brothers back in this boat class again. They finished first at World Cup II after a stint in the four and their lengthy career and numerous Olympic medals make them hard to look past. The Sinkovic’s will have to face Belgium’s rising stars Tibo Vyvey and Aaron Andries who have a gold and silver already from their 2026 season and also Martin Mackovic and Nikolaj Pimenov of Serbia who at the World silver medallists and have two World Cup medals in 2026. Keep an eye out too for Spain. Romero and Pomba have two fourths from this season and will want to push into the medals.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)
World Best Time: 6:37.31 Australia, 2014, Olympia Aldersey, Sally Kehoe
European Best Time: 6:40.83 Romania, 2023, Ancuta Bodnar, Simona Radis

There are 11 nations competing and with a number of new combinations it looks as though coaches are trying out to see how they work together. The most consistent looks to be Switzerland and AIN, the Individual Neutral Athletes. But it’s Clara Guerra and Alice Gnatta of Italy who have done the best so far this season. They took gold at World Cup II.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)
World Best Time: 5:32.03 Netherlands, 2021
European Best Time: 5:35.02 Great Britain, 2025 Callum Dixon, Matthew Haywood, Rory Harris, Cedol Dafydd

Germany used to be the kings of the quad and with a gold and bronze medal this season already from World Cup racing, they may have found a new winning line-up. Italy, however, won World Cup II and with Chiumento, Rambaldi, Panizza and Gentili in the boat they will surely be the ones to beat. Watch out too for Ukraine with Olexandr Nadtoka back in the boat.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)
World Best Time: 6:05.13 China, 2021
European Best Time: 6:11.00 Great Britain, 2025 Lola Anderson, Sarah McKay, Rebecca Wilde, Cameron Nyland

At World Cup I Germany finished first ahead of Great Britain. They met again at World Cup III with the British making one change to their line-up – adding former lightweight Imogen Grant into stroke seat. The British beat Germany. It will be all on when these two crews meet again to go after the European title. Keep an eye out too for Greece.

Men’s Eight (M8+)
World Best Time: 5:18.68 Germany, 2017
European Best Time: 5:18.79 Germany, 2025, Mattes Schoenherr, Julius Christ, Olaf Roggensack, Paul Klapperich, Jonas Wiesen, Tobias Strangemann, Soenke Kruse, Theis Hagemeister, Benedict Eggeling

After winning World Cup II, Italy has done some tweaking and, if selection is right, they will be the ones to beat. Regularly on the podium and always the priority boat, Germany is rebuilding their eight. They have made one change from the line-up that finished fourth in World Cup III. Keep an eye out for Romania and AIN. Their crews look to have deep potential.

Women’s Eight (W8+)
World Best Time: 5:52.99 Romania, 2021
European Best Time: 5:58.13 Netherlands, 2025, Hermijntje Drenth, Dieuwke Fetter, Tinka Offereins, Vera Sneijders, Nika Vos, Linn van Aanholt, Ymkje Clevering, Ilse Kolkman, Claire de Kok

Romania has won this boat class the most times but last year Great Britain took the European title. The British come to this regatta with a win from World Cup III and lots of confidence. Romania will have to put their best game forward to take on this British crew.

Men’s Four (M4-)
World Best Time: 5:37.86 Great Britain, 2012
European Best Time: 5:44.06 Romania, 2025, Ciprian Tudosa, Stefan Berariu, Sergiu Bejan, Andrei Mandrila

Most of these line-ups are new together for 2026 and for some these European Championships will be their first time racing together. This adds an air of mystery and potentially some interesting results. So far the stand out will have to be Romania who raced at World Cup III to a silver medal. Denmark could be in the mix and you can never look past Italy and Great Britain. The British have pulled together a brand new boat. Who knows!

Women’s Four (W4-)
World Best Time: 6:14.36 New Zealand, 2014
European Best Time: 6:19.60 Netherlands, 2025 Nika Johanna Vos, Ymkje Clevering, Linn van Aanholt, Tinka Offereins

The stand out crew this season has to be Great Britain. They have a fourth and third finish from two World Cup starts. Although Romania is trying a new line-up, they have the most experience in the boat and may be the crew to beat. Two of their crew, however, Maria Rusu and Amalia Chelaru are racing in three boat classes at this regatta. Look out for Italy as well. They took bronze at World Cup II.

Men’s pair (M2-)
World Best Time: 6:08.50 Eric Murray, Hamish Bond, New Zealand, 2012
European Best Time:6:11.57 Romania, 2025, Florin Lehaci, Florin Arteni

Stefan Berariu and Florin Lehaci of Romania look to be the frontrunners in this boat class. From the same training squad they are a new combination for 2026 and have already medalled at World Cup I. Brother combination, Domantas and Dovydas Stankunas of Lithuania were third at World Cup I after racing in the four at last year’s World Champs. But the real noise may be around Jonah Plock and Patrick Brunner of Switzerland. They were fifth at last year’s Europeans and at World Cup III last month they finished third.

Women’s pair (W2-)
World Best Time: 6:47.41 Grace Prendergast, Kerri Gowler, New Zealand, 2021
European Best Time: 6:49.18 Romania, 2025, Maria Rusu, Simona Radis

Romania’s Adriana Adam and Simona Radis are the most accomplished in this field of nine nations. It is, though, their first season in the pair together and they will race Anna Santruckova and Pavlina Flamikova of Czechia. The Czech duo have medalled at all three World Cups this season. Keep an eye out too for Lithuania.

INTERNATIONAL BOAT CLASSES

Mixed eight (Mix+)
World Best Time: 5:34.46 Romania 2025, Victoria Petreaun, Andrada-Maria Morosanu, Ciprian Tudosa, Florin Arteni, Florin Lehaci, Stefan Berariu, Maria Rusu, Maria Lehaci, Simona Radis

The mixed eight is here for the first time at the European Championships. All of these athletes must compete in two boat classes. The pick here is difficult but the guess is it will mean looking at who has the tightest national squad with the most depth. With that in mind, Romania is looking good. As a country that dominates at the European Championships, this one could be for them.

Mixed double sculls (Mix2x)
World Best Time: 6:24.22 Ireland 2025, Fintan McCarthy, Margaret Cremen

First time ever at the European Championships, the mixed double has eight boats entered and for all crews it’s their first time racing together internationally. Going by their results in other boat classes, the athletes in the Italian boat may be the crew to beat. The boat includes the very experienced Luca Chiumento and Anna Souwer. There is also good chances for Germany as Arno Gaus won the mixed double at World Cup I and has joined with Juliane Faralisch from the medal-winning quad. But what about Ukraine? Married couple Ivan and Yevheniia Dovhodko are testing their compatibility.

Lightweight men’s single sculls (LM1x)
World Best Time: 6:41.03 Germany, 2018, Jason Osborne
European Best Time: 6:51.24 Germany, 2025, Fabio Kress

This is a chance for scullers new to the international scene to cut their teeth and face some big competition, but they’ll be up against last year’s European winner Fabio Kress of Germany who also holds the European Best Time and a fourth-place finish at the 2025 World Champs.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)
World Best Time: 7:23.36 Imogen Grant, Great Britain, 2022
European Best Time: 7:29.38 Austria, 2025, Lara Tiefenthaller

Keep an eye on Gavriela Lioliou of Greece. Gavriela. She took gold in the lightweight double at both the 2025 World Rowing Under-23 Champs and the European Under-23 Champs. There’s also AIN rower, Valerya Shendzel who took the bronze at last year’s European Championships in this boat class.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-)
World Best Time: 6:22.91 Simon Niepmann, Lucas Tramer, Switzerland, 2014
European Best Time: 6:28.58 Joel Cassells, Peter Chambers, Great Britain, 2015

Nichita Naumciuc and Dmitrii Zincenco of Moldovia are regulars in this event and came third last year at the European Champs. They will again face Giorgi Kanteladze and Davit Lashkareishvili of Georgia who were the 2025 silver medallists.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)
World Best Time: 6:05.33 Ireland, 2021
European Best Time: 6:11.38 France, 2015 Stany Delayre, Jeremie Azou

Also racing the lightweight pair, Giorgi Kanteladze and Davit Lashkareishvili of Georgia will go for a double-header. They will face the might of Italy’s Tito Christoforakis and Giovanni Borgonovo with Christoforakis coming from a 2025 under-23 win.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)
World Best Time: 6:40.47 Great Britain, 2022
European Best Time: 6:52.06 Belarus, 2019 Alena Furman, Anastasiia Ianina

Odds are on that Paschalina Mouratidou and Gavriela Lioliou of Greece will have a good chance of getting gold. They are the current under-23 World Champions. Italy, however, is likely to give them a good run for their money.

PARA-ROWING

PR1 Men’s Single Sculls (PR1 M1x)
World Best Time: 8:50.38 Roman Polianskyi, Ukraine, 2023
European Best Time: 8:40.38 Great Britain, 2025, Benjamin Pritchard

Prediction here is a showdown between last year’s European gold medallist Benjamin Pritchard of Great Britain and silver medallist Roman Polianskyi of Ukraine.  Pritchard dominated last season so Polianskyi may have to race for second and also keep an eye on  Giacomo Perini of Italy.

PR1 Women’s Single Sculls (PR1 W1x)
World Best Time: 9:47.83 Birgit Skarstein, Norway, 2023
European Best Time:

This may be the chance for Anna Shermet of Ukraine to step out of the shadow that has been under the very successful Birget Skarstein of Norway. Birgit announced her retirement earlier this year and it could be Anna stepping in to fill her very big shoes. Watch out too for Claire Ghiringhelli of Switzerland.

PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (PR2 Mix2x)
World Best Time: 7:56.92 Great Britain, 2024, Lauren Rowles, Gregg Stevenson
European Best Time: 8:02.94, Great Britain, 2023, Lauren Rowles, Gregg Stevenson

Ukraine certainly punch above their weight when it comes to para-rowing. Watch out for Anna Aisanova and Iaroslav Koiuda of Ukraine. They finished second at last year’s European Championships. 2025 European gold and bronze medallists are also in the picture, Germany and Israel respectively. This will be a real battle.

PR3 Mixed Double Sculls (PR3 Mix2x)
World Best Time: 6:58:64 Germany, 2025, Valentin Luz, Kathrin Marchand
European Best Time: 6:57.41 Germany, 2025, Kathrin Marchand, Valentin Luz

Reigning European Champions Marchand and Luz from Germany are on a winning roll but Ukraine will give them a run for their money.

PR3 Mixed Four (PR3 Mix4+)
World Best Time: 6:43.68 Great Britain 2024
European Best Time:

Italy has kept the same crew together that raced at last year’s World Championships. This may give them an advantage against all other first-time line-ups.