Race report: Historic results close Duisburg on a high

The 2026 World Rowing Under 23 Rowing Championships ended on a high on Saturday, with Greece topping the medal table after collecting four gold and two silver medals. The USA also won four gold medals, along with one silver and one bronze.

Plenty of history was made on the final day of racing, with first-time winners in several events plus winning streaks extended – and broken.

Sendjuk claims home gold for Germany

The under 23 lightweight women’s single sculls was the first A-final on the course and it quickly developed into a close race between three scullers: defending champion Melissa Schincariol (ITA), Nathalie Sendjuk (GER) and Maryia Barysevich (AIN). Sendjuk had an excellent middle 1000m and started to move away from Schincariol, opening out to a lead of over three seconds at 1500m. Pressure from the rest of the field saw the race close up for the minor medals. Barysevich found another boost of energy, while Luciana Zegarra’s magnificent last 500m gave Peru their first medal in this event as Schincariol slipped off the podium.

Results: GER, AIN, PER, USA, ITA, NOR

Sendjuk said: “It’s incredible. It’s my home country and it’s been the hardest past six months of my life, and now I’m here, standing being a world champion.”

Veloso continues Portuguese success

Joao Veloso (POR) announced himself on the international scene back in May when he won World Rowing Cup I in Seville, still only 18 years old. Less than a month on from his 19th birthday, Veloso has added the under 23 lightweight men’s single sculls title with a well-paced race. Mikita Karneyeu (AIN) was the fastest out of the blocks but could not respond when Angelos Athanasiadis (GRE) moved. Veloso’s speed ramped up from about 750m and that saw him move through the pack from fifth to third at 1000m and second at 1500m, before he took the lead in the last 500m. Athanasiadis held on for silver and Artem Matussevich (KAZ) took bronze. It was a first medal in this event for both Portugal and Kazakhstan.

Results: POR, GRE, KAZ, NED, ITA, AIN

Veloso said: “It just shows that all my effort and all my teammates’ efforts are finally being rewarded.”

Greece maintain streak in BLW2x

Greece have a stranglehold on the under 23 lightweight women’s double sculls, winning now for a fourth year in a row – and a second time running for Paschalina Mouratidou and Gavriela Lioliou. The Greeks were never behind in the final, which saw France take silver – a second medal of this colour in a row for Rose Gallen, and a first for Elena Chevrier da Costa. Melina Reinke and Charlotte Bergmann (GER) won bronze ahead of Italy.

Results: GRE, FRA, GER, ITA

Lioliou said: “We’re very happy with what we did today. It was a very nice race, we enjoyed it very much and we’re very happy to keep the title.”

Germany upgrade silver to gold

2025 under 23 lightweight men’s double sculls silver medallists Naveen Alexander Shah and Maximilian Ruehling (GER) were the most established crew in the A-final in Duisburg, and they looked determined to upgrade to gold as they shot out of the blocks. Shah and Ruehling were never troubled through the rest of the race, despite a great race between France and Serbia behind them for silver. In the middle of the track it looked like Serbia’s first-ever medal in this boat class would be silver, but Leo Desmolles and Albin Delacommune (FRA) had other ideas and charged through in the closing quarter.

Results: GER, FRA, SRB, USA, ITA, POL

Seven in a row for British men’s eight

The start of the under 23 men’s eight was slightly delayed when the British boat came out of its starting shoe, but that did not seem to bother the crews who treated the fans to a spectacular race. Great Britain, chasing a record seventh title in a row, led by a canvas at 500m but could not break free of the pack, which was led by the USA and Australia. Things stayed that way through the middle 1000m, with the British inching slowly ahead but by 10ths of a second. In the last 500m the USA kept the pressure on the British eight while New Zealand found some impressive closing speed to move past Australia for bronze, a second medal in a row for this boat class after taking silver last year.

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

Matthew Johnston (GBR) said: “You always know it’s going to be a tough race in a championships, and the only thing you can do at that point is just pull hard and trust the training, trust the guys around you.”

Ifteni makes history for Romania

Esther Fuerte (ESP), rating high, took the early lead in the under 23 women’s single sculls final. She had clear water by halfway, but a race was developing for silver between Sophia Young (IRL), Bianca-Camelia Ifteni (ROU) and Paula Lutz (GER). Young was in second at 1000m with Lutz in third, but Ifteni was moving and by 1500m Fuerte’s lead was slashed to less than second. Soon afterwards Ifteni had open water on the field. Gold for Romania was a first-ever medal in this boat class. Fuerte was left fighting to hold on for a medal as Young passed her for silver. But the Spaniard had done enough to make sure Spain also took their first medal in this boat class.

Results: ROU, IRL, ESP, GER, NED, UKR

Ifteni said: “I knew that Spain and Ireland have a stronger start, but all my coaches and every part of my team say to me that I need to stay calm, because I have my secret weapon to the last 1k.”

USA shine in women’s eights

As in the preliminary race, Great Britain led the way out of the start of the under 23 women’s eights final. But, also as in the preliminary race, the USA took the lead in the middle of the course. This time, they did not let the British get a sniff of closing the gap, and won by a huge margin of over six seconds. Gold is the USA’s 20th medal in this event – they have never missed the podium. Great Britain picked up silver, and Germany won bronze with clear water ahead of Canada.

Results: USA, GBR, GER, NED, CAN, ITA

Elsa Hartmann (USA) said: “We really have built on our strong American base. Once we shifted into that first 500 we really settled into that base, and it was awesome. From there we were like ‘we have the confidence, we’ve got this’.”

Goncalves caps stellar regatta for Portugal with third gold

Jesse Ilsemann (GER) and Marco Selva (ITA) were the fastest scullers out of the start in the under 23 men’s single sculls final, but Diogo Goncalves (POR) found his rhythm and was gradually moving back on Selva in the middle of the course. He hit the front at 1500m and had the momentum, drawing further ahead to claim Portugal’s third gold medal of the championships, and their first gold medal in this boat class in history. Behind Goncalves, Selva was under pressure from Nikolaos Cholopoulos (GRE) and August Wisholm (DEN). There were three boats in a line at the finish, but it was Cholopoulos who took second, 0.06 seconds up on Wisholm, who in turn was 0.22 seconds ahead of Selva. Defending champion Cevdet Ege Mutlu (TUR) was never really in the race.

Results: POR, GRE, DEN, ITA, GER, TUR

Goncalves said: “I feel so happy, so proud of myself. The race was so crazy. It’s an incredible race. It’s an incredible feeling, it’s a moment so special in my career.”

Greece take maiden mixed doubles gold

The under 23 mixed double sculls was being raced for the first time in history in Duisburg. Romania were the fastest boat in the heats, but it was Germany who held the lead through to halfway in the final. However, as the crews went through 1000m, there was very little splitting Germany, Romania and Greece. Under the pressure, Germany began slipping back off the pace. It would be a sprint finish between Romania and Greece for gold and it was Greece’s Konstantinos Giannoulis and Dimitra Kontou who took victory, half a second ahead of Romania. It is a fifth under 23 gold medal for Kontou, who also won the under 23 women’s double sculls on Saturday.

Results: GRE, ROU, GER, ITA, IRL, AIN

Giannoulis said: “We were expecting the result, we were going really fast in training. We had a really good race with the Romanians, they were really fast. I thought we wouldn’t catch them in the finish because the Romanians are known for their finish, but we pushed through, we pulled with our hearts and managed to pass them.”

USA grab fourth gold in inaugural mixed eights final

The first-ever under 23 mixed eights final was an exciting end to the championships. The USA led out, posting a rapid 1:24.85 to 500m with Romania and the Netherlands chasing hard. The order stayed the same through to 1500m, although France were not out of the picture. There were four boats all in touch at the finish, but the order remained unchanged and the USA claim their fourth gold of the regatta, and become the first-ever under 23 world champions in the mixed eight.

Results: USA, ROU, NED, FRA, ITA, GER

Annika Jeffery (USA) said: “It was fun. Our race plan was just to go out with a bang, see how high we could get the rate and just hold it till the end.”