Bring on Amsterdam, Part III: Mighty Lighties and Mixed Events Teams Have World Titles in Sights

With defending champions absent from several events and new combinations bringing fresh intrigue, Amsterdam is set for a thrilling week of lightweight and mixed-class racing. From the unpredictable lightweight singles to the battle for supremacy in the Mixed Doubles and Mixed Eight, a host of proven performers, emerging crews, and home-water contenders will be chasing world titles – with little room for certainty on who will emerge on top.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)

• 13 entries
• Reigning world champion: Michelle Sechser, USA
• World Best Time: 07:23.36, set by Imogen Grant of Great Britain in 2022

Did you know … On her Olympic debut in Rio 10 years ago, Kenia Lechuga (MEX) beat the eventual women’s single sculls Olympic champion Kim Brennan in atrocious conditions in the heats.

Last year’s winner, Michelle Sechser (USA), is not competing in Amsterdam, paving the way for a new world champion. And it’s hard to look past the 2025 bronze medallist, Kenia Lechuga, who has had a perfect season with two dominant World Rowing Cup victories in Seville and Lucerne. Femke van Vliet (NED) is also well-positioned after reaching the podium in Seville and Lucerne, too, while Mariia Zhovner (AIN1) claimed the European title in Varese following a solid showing in the openweight women’s single sculls on the World Cup circuit this year.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x)

• 16 entries
• Reigning world champion: Felipe Kluver Ferreira, Uruguay
• World Best Time: 06:39.56, set by Niels Torre of Italy in 2024

Did you know … Felipe Kluver won Uruguay’s first-ever World Rowing Championships medal in Shanghai last year, going unbeaten through the regatta before claiming gold in the final.

After making history last year in China, Felipe Kluver is back for another tilt at the lightweight men’s single sculls title in Amsterdam. He faces an intriguing field. None of the three World Rowing Cup winners this season are competing in this event, so little can be predicted on form. However, European champion Petros Gkaidatzis (GRE) will bring confidence from his performance in Varese, as will European silver medallist Fabio Kress (GER). And home water could be a boost for Cornelus Palsma (NED), who took silver at World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

• 6 entries
• Reigning world champions: Zou Jiaqi and Fu Ling, China
• World Best Time: 06:40.47, set by Emily Craig and Imogen Grant of Great Britain in 2023

Did you know … The lightweight women’s double sculls field has a distinctly Latin American feel, with four crews racing from Central and South America.

China’s world champions are absent from Amsterdam, and there is history at stake for the 2025 silver and bronze medallists, Tunisia and Peru. Neither has ever won a gold medal at the World Rowing Championships. The same can be said of Paraguay, a senior world championships debutant. But Khadija Krimi and Selma Dhaouadi (TUN) and Alessia and Valeria Palacios (PER) will have a close eye on the Greek under-23 world champions, Paschalina Mouratidou and Gavriela Lioliou, who also snaffled European silver behind Italy.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

• 11 entries
• Reigning world champions: Li Yawei and Sun Man, China
• World Best Time: 06:05.33, set by Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan of Ireland in 2024

Did you know … Brothers Paul and Gary O’Donovan won Ireland’s first-ever Olympic rowing medal when they took silver in the lightweight men’s double sculls at Rio 2016, and promptly went viral for their TV interviews, where Paul said their strategy was “close your eyes and pull like a dog”.

No medallists from the 2025 World Rowing Championships are contesting the lightweight men’s double sculls in Amsterdam, which sets the stage up for an enthralling competition. The most experienced crew in the field is Uzbekistan’s Shakhzod Nurmatov and Sobirjon Safaroliyev: Safaroliyev is a two-time Olympian, and this duo won the World Rowing Cup II this year. Azerbaijan is also a combination to watch out for – Ziya Mammadzada and Nurlan Pashayev took bronze behind the Uzbeks in Plovdiv and silver at the European Rowing Championships. Under-23 world champions Germany could also be in the mix.

Mixed Double Sculls (Mix2x)

• 18 entries
• Reigning world champions: Fintan McCarthy and Margaret Cremen, Ireland
• World Best Time: 06:24.22, set by Fintan McCarthy and Margaret Cremen of Ireland in 2025

Did you know … Spain’s Iria Jarama is the only athlete doubling up into the mixed double sculls from a sweep boat – she is also racing the women’s pair.

In only the second year of the mixed double sculls at the World Rowing Championship level, reigning champion Margaret Cremen is teamed up with Konan Pazzaia to defend Ireland’s title. They face a stacked field. 2025 silver medallist Roos de Jong is racing alongside Simon van Dorp (NED), and 2025 bronze medallists Celia Dupre and Raphael Ahumada (SUI) are also back. But don’t discount the USA – Cedar Cunningham and Sophia Vitas won both World Rowing Cup II and III in this event this season. Romania, Italy, and France also bring tons of world and Olympic experience to the field.

Mixed Eight (Mix8+)

• 6 entries
• Reigning world champions: Maria Magdalena Rusu, Maria Lehaci, Andrada-Maria Morosanu, Florin Sorin Lehaci, Florin Arteni, Ciprian Tudosa, Stefan Constantin Berariu, Simona Radis and Victoria Stefania Petreanu, Romania
• World Best Time: 05:34.46, set by Romania in 2025

Did you know … The mixed eight made its debut at the World Rowing Under-23 and Under-19 Championships this year, with the USA taking the Under-23 title and Germany winning the Under-19 category.

Four members of Romania’s world-champion mixed eight are back for Amsterdam, but you cannot rule out another victory for an impressive outfit. They are the only returners from last year’s podium, and the USA (fourth in Shanghai) and the Netherlands (fifth) will undoubtedly also have their eyes on the medals. However, Germany’s European silver medallists are the only crew to have raced this season in their Amsterdam line-up – will that be an advantage?