Who will rule the Bosbaan in the Olympic boat categories? Who will defend their title, who will rise to the occasion, and who might upset the form book? From the singles to the eights, an expert eye takes you race by race through the big names, intriguing match-ups, and dark horses heading into the 2026 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.

The Singles

Men’s Single Sculls

• Reigning Olympic Champion: Oliver Zeidler, Germany
• Reigning World Champion: Stefanos Ntouskos, Greece
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winner: Oliver Zeidler, Germany
• World Best Time: 6:30.74, set by Robbie Manson of New Zealand in 2017.

Did you know … The men’s single has been on the Olympic program since 1900. Robbie Manson’s World Best Time has stood since 2017, and it is one of the few current World Best Times set by a sculler who has not gone on to win an Olympic title.

Reigning Olympic Champion Oliver Zeidler of Germany has started his 2026 season in a dominant fashion by winning both World Cups he entered, I and III. Zeidler, despite his pedigree, has been beaten. This happened last year at the World Champs. Stefanos Ntouskos of Greece held off Zeidler to become the World Champion. This was his first senior World Championship title and first big win since taking gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

AIN’s Zalaty has already shown he can mix it with the very best and will be one to watch. Keep an eye out for Samuel Melvin of the United States, too.

Women’s Single Sculls

• Reigning Olympic Champion: Karolien Florijn, Netherlands
• Reigning World Champion: Fiona Murtagh, Ireland
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winner: Lauren Henry, Great Britain
• World Best Time: 7:07.71, set by Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria in Seville in 2002.

Did you know … Rumyana Neykova’s World Best Time has stood since the 2002 World Championships in Seville, making it one of the longest-standing records in the current World Rowing program.

Olympic Champion Karolien Florijn is back after taking time out of the international scene in 2025. The daughter of an Olympic Champion, Florijn is hard to beat when she’s in form. In Florijn’s absence, Fiona Murtagh had a great 2025 season and Great Britain’s Lauren Henry has been the most successful so far in 2026.

Henry won the World Cup I in Seville and followed that with another victory in Lucerne, establishing herself as the athlete to beat in the early part of the season. She was also agonizingly close to Murtagh in Shanghai last year, losing the World Championship title by just 0.03 seconds.

Murtagh’s story is intriguing. A sweep rower and Olympic medallist in the four, she made the switch to sculling and immediately became a world champion. Now Murtagh and Henry will face Florijn with Alexandra Foester, (GER) and Viktorija Senkute (LTU) also capable of making the A-final.

The Double Sculls

Men’s Double Sculls

• Reigning Olympic Champions: Marian Enache, Andrei Cornea, Romania
• Reigning World Champions: Miroslaw Zietarski, Mateusz Biskup, Poland
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winners: Aaron Andries, Tibo Vyvey, Belgium
• World Best Time: 5:59.72, set by Valent and Martin Sinkovic of Croatia in Amsterdam in 2014.

Did you know … The Sinkovic brothers were the first crew to break the six-minute barrier in the double, setting the World Best Time in Amsterdam in 2014. That record still stands.

Belgium has emerged as a serious force this season. Aaron Andries and Tibo Vyvey won World Cup III in Lucerne, having already taken silver in Seville. Their consistency makes them one of the crews to beat heading into Amsterdam.

Croatia’s legendary Sinkovic brothers are back in the double. Their long rowing career has included Olympic medals in the pair at both the Paris and Tokyo Olympics. In Rio, they won the double. A long career needs variety, and last year they spent the season in a four. Valent and Martin Sinkovic only race to win so if they do well in Amsterdam they are likely to continue in the double.

The reigning World Champions are Poland, but they have a new line up for Amsterdam and will likely have their work cut out for them.

Serbia’s Martin Mackovic and Nikolaj Pimenov are also firmly in the conversation after winning silver at the 2025 Worlds and a silver at World Cup III. Keep an eye out for Portugal, who come to Amsterdam after winning the under-23s.

Women’s Double Sculls

• Reigning Olympic Champions: Brooke Francis, Lucy Spoors, New Zealand
• Reigning World Champions: Roos de Jong, Benthe Boonstra, Netherlands
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winners: Benthe Boonstra, Roos de Jong, Netherlands
• World Best Time: 6:37.31, set by Sally Kehoe and Olympia Aldersey of Australia in Amsterdam in 2014.

Did you know … The Netherlands won their first-ever World Championship gold in the women’s double in Shanghai. Roos de Jong and Benthe Boonstra held off China by just 0.88 seconds.

The Dutch double has become the combination to beat. Roos de Jong and Benthe Boonstra won the 2025 World Championships and then returned in 2026 to win World Cup III in Lucerne. They have already shown they can handle the pressure of a championship final and will arrive in Amsterdam as favourites.

Italy may be the biggest challenge to the Dutch. Clara Guerra and Alice Guatta won the World Cup I, and keep an eye out for Switzerland and AIN, who will challenge hard. China has a new combination of Shuangmei Shen and Xinyu Zhang. They’ve raced at two World Cups this season and scored a bronze.

The Pairs

Men’s Pair

• Reigning Olympic Champions: Martin Sinkovic, Valent Sinkovic, Croatia
• Reigning World Champions: Oliver Welch, Benjamin Taylor, New Zealand
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winners: Angus Dawson, Alex Hill, Australia
• World Best Time: 6:08.50, set by Hamish Bond and Eric Murray of New Zealand in 2012.

Did you know … New Zealand’s Hamish Bond and Eric Murray had a 69-race winning streak by the time they finished their career. They also hold the World Best Time for the men’s coxed pair.

Whoever jumps into the men’s pair for New Zealand has big feet to fill and Oliver Welch and Ben Taylor look to be embracing it. The New Zealanders have been the outstanding crew of 2026, enough to secure the overall World Rowing Cup title before the final regatta. They then sat out Lucerne, meaning Amsterdam will be their first major opportunity to prove that their season-long dominance can transfer to the World Championships.

Australia won at World Cup III with the incredibly talented Alex Hill in the boat. Hill has teamed up with Angus Dawson and they will be ready for an Australia-Aotearoa rumble.

Then there’s a whole suite of boats well inclined to make the A-final. Romania, Switzerland and Spain are all having a good season. Maybe the most interesting is Spain. The duo of Garcia and Canalejo first raced together in 2011, and since then they have joined up in various sweep boats, with the pair being the main one in recent years. They are very consistent A-finallists with their best result being a silver at the 2022 World Rowing Championships.

Women’s Pair

• Reigning Olympic Champions: Ymkje Clevering, Veronique Meester, Netherlands
• Reigning World Champions: Maria Magdalena Rusu, Simona Radis, Romania
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winners: Mia Levy, Regina Salmons, United States
• World Best Time: 6:47.41, set by Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler of New Zealand in 2021.

Did you know … Helen Glover and Heather Stanning of Great Britain won the nation’s first-ever female Olympic rowing gold at London 2012. Glover had only been rowing for four years.

The women’s pair looks wide open. Czechia has been the most consistent nation across the 2026 World Cup season, with Anna Santruckova and Pavlina Flamikova collecting medals at each of the first three regattas. They finished second in Lucerne and have built a strong case for a podium finish in Amsterdam. At the European Rowing Championships, however, they came second to Adriana Adams and Simona Radis of Romania. Perhaps not surprisingly. The versatile Radis has seven World and Olympic gold medals already, and she’s always on the medal podium no matter what boat she’s in.

Chile’s Melita and Antonia Abraham are another crew to watch. The sisters won World Cup II and followed that with bronze in Lucerne. As two of rowing’s quadruplets, the Abraham sisters have been rowing together their entire careers.

Then there’s World Cup III winners Levy and Salmons of the US. It may be their first season together, but with a World Cup win to their name, they will be looking to make their mark at the World Champs.

The Fours

Men’s Four

• Reigning Olympic Champions: Nicholas Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady, Liam Corrigan, USA
• Reigning World Champions: Dan Graham, James Robson, Douwe de Graaf, George Bourne, Great Britain
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winners: Dan Graham, James Robson, Douwe de Graaf, George Bourne, Great Britain
• World Best Time: 5:37.86, set by Great Britain in 2012.

Did you know … Australia has a rich history in this boat class with the crew called the Oarsome Foursome through the 1990s and 2000s. Their gold at the 1992 Olympics earned them national recognition in Australia and an iconic advertising campaign for canned fruit.

The men’s four has arguably been the most settled boat in the British program this year. Dan Graham, James Robson, Douwe de Graaf and George Bourne won World Cup I and World Cup III and have built an unbeaten run that stretches beyond the World Cup circuit. They also arrive as reigning World Champions.

That gives Great Britain a very different position from many of the other nations. While the British have been able to refine one crew, combinations are still being worked out amongst their competitors.

Romania remains a major threat, particularly after producing a silver medal in Lucerne. The Dutch medalled once this season and kept the same crew for Amsterdam. China is boasting their under-23 crew that finished fourth at the World Rowing Under-23 Championships but also medalled at one World Cup this season.

Keep an eye out for France. They have two World Cup medals from 2026, with both races being against Great Britain.

Women’s Four

• Reigning Olympic Champions: Ymkje Clevering, Veronique Meester, Marloes Oldenburg, Hermijntje Drenth, Tinka Offereins, Benthe Boonstra, Netherlands
• Reigning World Champions: Camille Vandermeer, Azja Czajkowski, Teal Cohen, Kate Knifton and crew, USA
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winner: Molly Bruggeman, Azja Czajkowski, Teal Cohen, Kate Knifton, USA
• World Best Time: 6:14.36, set by New Zealand in Amsterdam in 2014.

Did you know … The women’s four returned to the Olympic program at Tokyo 2020. Prior to that, it had appeared just once at the 1992 Olympic Games.

The women’s four is one of the harder boat classes to call this time around, although the United States is looking good. The US is the reigning World Champion, and with one change to the crew, they won at World Cup III.  But New Zealand remains a dangerous presence with two World Cup medals this season.

Great Britain has steadily improved throughout the season. The British crew took bronze in Lucerne and has been building experience together after finishing fourth in Seville. They also won the recent European Rowing Championships.

The Netherlands, Australia and Italy have all medalled this season and will be giving the US a run for their money. Then there’s Romania, who are boasting a new line-up, and with such a powerful women’s sweep squad, it’s bound to be good.

Romania is another nation that cannot be discounted. Their sweep program is deep enough to create multiple combinations, and the Romanians have regularly used the four as a bridge between their pair and eight programs.

The Quadruple Sculls

Men’s Quadruple Sculls

• Reigning Olympic Champions: Lennart van Lierop, Finn Florijn, Tone Wieten, Koos Metsmaters, Netherlands
• Reigning World Champions: Giacomo Gentili, Luca Chiumento, Luca Rambaldi, Andrea Panizza, Italy
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winners: Cedol Dafydd, Callum Dixon, Tobias Schroder, Rory Harris, Great Britain
• World Best Time: 5:32.03, set by the Netherlands at the Tokyo Olympic regatta in 2021.

Did you know … This is the second-fastest boat (after the men’s eight). Only Germany has managed back-to-back Olympic titles (2012 and 2016).

Italy enter Amsterdam as World Champions and as the winners of the 2025 World Rowing Crew of the Year award. Giacomo Gentili, Luca Chiumento, Luca Rambaldi, and Andrea Panizza are back to defend their title, and in the one World Cup they raced this season, they won.

Great Britain, however, has had the stronger 2026 World Cup finish. They won at World Cup III and are bringing the same line-up to the World Champs. What about Germany? With two World Cup medals and a European Championships title to their name, this season they look to have found the right combination.

The Netherlands has a new line-up from their Olympic Champion boat and has already won two silver medals this season. They will also have home advantage. Australia may be the dark horse, and if they make the final, all bets are off.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls

• Reigning Olympic Champions: Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson, Georgina Brayshaw, Great Britain
• Reigning World Champions: Roos de Jong, Willemijn Mulder, Margot Leeuwenburgh, Tessa Dullemans, Netherlands
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winners: Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott, Finn Stratton, Imogen Grant, Great Britain
• World Best Time: 6:05.13, set by China, Chen Yunxia, Zhang Ling, Lyu Yang and Cui Xiaotong, at the Tokyo Olympic regatta in 2021.

Did you know … When Great Britain won at the 2024 Olympics, it was their country’s first-ever Olympic gold in this boat class. They did it by the tiniest of margins, beating the Netherlands by just 0.15 seconds.

This is one of the clearest examples of a boat class where the 2026 season has begun to point towards a British-Dutch-German battle.

Great Britain won World Cup III with Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott, Finn Stratton and Imogen Grant, after Germany won World Cup I.

The Netherlands, meanwhile, are the reigning World Champions, but with a new 2026 line-up. They took bronze at World Cup III, and having more time in the boat together will work to their advantage. Germany has also been consistently quick and cannot be ignored. Most recently, they took silver at the European Championships after winning World Cup I and silver at World Cup III.

The wildcard could be Greece. They have put together a crew mixing youth and experience, and being coached by Gianni Postiglione means they will have a fantastic plan.

The Eights

Men’s Eight

• Reigning Olympic Champions: Morgan Bolding, Sholto Carnegie, Rory Gibbs, Thomas Ford, Jacob Dawson, Charles Elwes, Thomas Digby, James Rudkin, Harry Brightmore, Great Britain
• Reigning World Champions: Eli Brouwer, Finn Florijn, Wibout Rustenburg, Jorn Salverda, Sander de Graaf, Pieter van Veen, Jan van der Bij, Mick Makker, Jonna de Vries, Netherlands
• 2026 World Rowing Cup III winner: Ralf Rienks, Finn Florijn, Wibout Rustenburg, Jorn Salverda, Sander de Graaf, Pieter van Veen, Jan van der Bij, Mick Makker, Jonna de Vries, Netherlands
• World Best Time: 5:18.68, set by Germany in Poznan, 2017.

Did You Know … In the Dutch boat are Ralf Rienks, son of two-time Olympic gold medallist Nico Rienks, and Finn Florijn, son of two-time Olympic medallist Ronald Florijn. Nico and Ronald won their medals together – the double in 1988 and the eight in 1996.

The men’s eight will be incredibly atmospheric in Amsterdam. Not only are the Dutch in a good position to win, but also the Netherlands – through their strong university rowing tradition – love the eight.

The Netherlands are the reigning World Champions and won both World Cups that they entered this season. Then there’s Great Britain. They are the reigning Olympic Champions and finished second to the Dutch in 2025 as well as at World Cup III. The Dutch – Great Britain clash will happen again in Amsterdam.

But there’s more. Italy, Germany, Australia and Romania all have the potential to make the A-final, with the United States never to be dismissed. Romania, in particular, will be vying for medals after taking the 2026 European Championship title.

Women’s Eight

Did you know … The United States went on an 11-year winning streak, winning every World Championship and Olympic race from 2006 to 2016.

The Dutch victory in Shanghai was the first women’s eight World Championship title in Dutch rowing history. This puts them in a great position coming into these World Champs. Their season so far, however, hasn’t been stellar, with a fourth and a second-place finish through the World Cup season.

Meanwhile, Great Britain has emerged as a leading challenger in 2026. They won World Cup III in Lucerne and were third at World Cup I. But what about Australia? They beat the British at World Cup I and then took silver at World Cup III.

Romania remains the traditional powerhouse of the eights and cannot be dismissed. They took silver behind the Netherlands in Shanghai and then went on to win this year’s European Championships. Romania retains a strong sweep squad and often doesn’t pick its final line-up until just before the World Championships, so surprises can happen.