Race report: First day of finals in Duisburg brings thrills

The first day of finals at the 2026 World Rowing Under 23 Championships produced a packed day of close racing, from the first B-final to the last A-final.

Australia ended the day on top of the medal table with three gold medals, while Greece, Great Britain and the USA each won two golds.

Lutze wins first gold in world best time

Spain’s Rocio Fraguela shot out of the blocks in the final of the PR3 under 23 women’s single sculls, but Australian Susannah Lutze moved ahead after about 100m and she was able to extend the advantage to claim her first under 23 world title. Lutze set an under 23 world best time of 08:09.04, finishing just over a second quicker than Dariia Kotyk (UKR) who won the inaugural under 23 title last year. In the race for silver, Fraguela’s fast start gave her the edge over Dinara Belyanina (UZB). The two will surely meet again in the future, with plenty more years of under 23 eligibility ahead.

Results: AUS, ESP, UZB

Lutze said: “I think I had a pretty good start, it’s not my strongest part of the race, so I was happy to get out of the blocks well and settle into that middle k rhythm. I tried to wind but I was pretty tired by the end so didn’t go that much faster.”

Stunell defends title in world best time

Sam Stunell (AUS) successfully defended the PR3 under 23 men’s single sculls title he won when the event debuted in Poznan last year, leading from the start. Stunell also lowered his own under 23 world best time from 7:28.31 to 7:27.73 after a huge last 500m – he was three seconds behind world best time pace at 1500m. The race for the minor medals was between Igor Zappa (ITA) and Akbarali Abduvaliev (UZB), with Zappa making a good move in the third quarter of the race to open up the margin between himself and the young Uzbek.

Results: AUS, ITA, UZB, FRA, GER

Stunell said: “After winning it last year I really wanted to come back this year and try and defend the belt and I did that, so I couldn’t be happier.”

Australia take first under 23 women’s pair gold

Australia’s impressive under 23 women’s pair of Lucy Searle and Imogen Grey paddled through the second half of their semifinal, and the conserved energy paid off with a huge win in the final. It is Australia’s first-ever gold medal in this event. The University of Texas duo led by three seconds by 500m. Ekaterina Guseva and Elena Lushina (AIN) had a good start and were in silver medal position for the rest of the race, but the rest of the field were in contention for bronze. And it was France who charged through from lane 6 to take bronze, after sitting in sixth place at halfway.

Results: AUS, AIN, FRA, LTU, ROU, USA

Grey said: “It’s a pretty surreal race we just had, and couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone else.”

Greece shine in under 23 men’s pair final

Alexandros Chatziavgoustidis and Andreas Bourkas (GRE) won the under 23 men’s pair after taking the race on early and never letting go of that lead. Italy were second for the first 1000m with Romania’s Patrick Sebestyn and Eduard Moldovan not far behind, and the Romanians took silver medal position into 1500m. However, Australian pair Jack Hansen-Kharhoi and Lachlan Brown had a much better sprint and pushed Romania into bronze to add under 23 silver to the junior silver medal they won last year.

Results: GRE, AUS, ROU, ITA, GBR, BEL

Bourkas said: “We were six years together, and we tried too many times. I said this is the year, if we don’t do it today, we will not do it ever.”

Fourth gold for Kontou as Greece defend title

It was another good final in the under 23 women’s double sculls, but it ended in another gold for Greece. Dimitra Kontou defended the title she won last year in Poznan and won her fourth under 23 gold medal, with Eleni Diavati stepping up to the under 23 gold from the junior double sculls title she picked up in 2025. But the Greeks did not have things all their own way. The 16-year-old neutral athletes, Tatiana Cherkasova and Aleksandra Grigoreva, closed up the gap in the second 1000m, forcing a response from Greece – but in fact it was Poland’s Anna Khlibenko and Julia Rogiewicz who found more in the sprint and claimed silver.

Results: GRE, POL, AIN2, FRA, LTU, AUS

Kontou said: “It was a great race, I have no words. I’m really thankful to my coach, my family, Eleni who is my crew. We did an amazing job I think for such a young and new crew, and I’m really proud of the outcome.”

History for Portugal

Germany took the early lead in the final of the under 23 men’s double sculls, before Romania’s David and Daniel Chitic edged ahead from lane 6, extending their lead towards 1000m. Coming into halfway Portugal’s Pedro Rodrigues and Tomas Neves were level with Germany, but Romania had a length’s lead. Portugal had the momentum, and took the lead soon after 1500m, heading towards their country’s first-ever under 23 gold medal. From somewhere Germany found another gear and charged back through Romania, while Ireland unleashed a mighty sprint to take bronze and maintain an unbroken streak of medals in this boat class.

Results: POR, GER, IRL, ITA, ROU, TUR

Rodrigues said: “We are a small team racing and we just want to show rowing from Portugal to the world.”

USA claim gold, Spain win first women’s four medal

A good start by Great Britain gave them a narrow advantage at 500m in the under 23 women’s four final, but the USA were not far behind and it swiftly became a side-by-side battle between the two boats. In lane 6, Spain were rowing the race of their lives in bronze medal position. In the third quarter the USA took half a length on the British, and they raised their rate early into the finish to hold on to that lead. The British responded, but did not have quite enough to close the gap. The USA won by a canvas, adding the under 23 title to the senior world title from Shanghai last year, while Spain took their first-ever women’s four medal, bronze.

Results: USA, GBR, ESP, NED, ROU, RSA

Annika Jeffery (USA) said: “Our goal was to go out there, have fun, do what we know how to do, do what we do in practice every day. We love the sport, we love racing, it’s why we do it.”

Great Britain take men’s four gold

Great Britain are the most successful nation in history in the under 23 men’s four, and after a disappointing fourth place in Poznan last year they returned to the top of the podium for their fifth gold medal in history. They had to row through the fast-starting Australian four to do it, but a strong second half gave the British victory by almost a length. The USA came through Romania and were the strongest in the battle for bronze.

Results: GBR, AUS, USA, CHN, ROU, RSA

Cameron Tasker (GBR) said: “I’ve never felt better. Such an awesome way to the end the season, an awesome way to bring back the first gold for GB.”

USA break medal drought in women’s quads

The last time the USA won a medal of any colour in the under 23 women’s quadruple sculls was in 2007. They decisively broke that drought on Saturday with an impressive row in the final, breaking free of the pack in the second 500m and winning by over four seconds. Great Britain, the 2025 champions, were the only crew to stick with the USA, but could not close the gap in the finish. Italy paced their race well to take bronze.

Results: USA, GBR, ITA, GER, POL, NZL

Lila Henn (USA) said: “I don’t even think I can start to process what this means. Going into this event this is more than I had ever imagined, I’m overjoyed.”

Great Britain end day 1 with second gold

Germany had a brilliant start in the under 23 men’s quadruple sculls final, but it was Poland who hit 500m first, narrowly ahead of Germany and then Great Britain. By 1000m Poland still led, but the British had moved into second place. Poland stayed ahead through 1500m but Great Britain had the momentum and took the lead for the first time as the race came into the final quarter. Poland’s early efforts took their toll, and they faded as Great Britain kept moving away. That allowed Germany to come through to claim silver, with the Polish holding on to bronze.

Results: GBR, GER, POL, AIN2, SUI, CZE

Elliott Donovan-Davies (GBR) said: “It’s been a three-year project for all of the boys. We’ve either been in the quad or the double. It’s good to get back on board for the GB sculling team.”

USA eliminated as under 23 mixed doubles make their debut

The USA were eliminated from the under 23 mixed double sculls as the slowest boat from the two heats raced in the afternoon, the debut for this event at a World Rowing Under 23 Championships. Romania set the fastest time, 6:59.58, which is therefore an under 23 world best time. Italy won heat 2 after first AIN and then Ireland had led; AIN’s sprint finish gave them an automatic place in the final, but Ireland were some nine seconds quicker than the USA, who finished fourth in heat 1. Germany and Greece were the other qualifiers behind Romania from the first heat.