Daily digest: Singles start Worlds campaigns; semis bring thrills

The sizeable contingent of single scullers competing at the 2026 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam finally got their campaigns underway on Wednesday, with the favourites progressing with ease. Meanwhile, those events which began their regatta on Monday raced semifinals, a last chance to stay in the running for medals later in the week.

Germany looking on course to defend title

Germany’s defending world champions Valentin Luz and Kathrin Marchand appear to be on track to secure a second title in the PR3 mixed double sculls, winning their heat in the fastest time. Australia did give them a race, however, and the race for the minor medals with Ukraine also well in the mix should be good.

Laurens leading the women’s single field

Lauren Henry (GBR) and Lauren O’Connnor (USA) finished as the fastest two women’s single scullers after the heats on Wednesday. Both showed good second-half pace, moving through fast starter Alexandra Foester to claim automatic places in the quarterfinals. Elsewhere, there was a thrilling contest between Paige Badenhorst (RSA) and reigning world champion Fiona Murtagh (IRL), with Badenhorst starting strong and holding on to take top spot against Murtagh’s charge by 0.03 seconds.

Olympic champion Karolien Florijn (NED) returned to racing after missing much of the season through injury to take a comfortable win, cruising home in her heat; world bronze medallist Frida Sangaard Nielsen (DEN) and Olympic bronze medallist Viktorija Senkute (LTU) were also heat winners.

Zeidler in cruise control, favourites all through

Olympic and European men’s single sculls champion Oliver Zeidler took a lead of over five seconds by 500m in his heat and was able to sit back and relax for the rest of the track, qualifying as the 16th-fastest sculler – but undoubtedly still the favourite for the title. World champion Stefanos Ntouskos (GRE) did not have things quite as easy in his heat, but also won to progress, as did last year’s bronze medallist Yauheni Zalaty (AIN2).

There was a good battle between former lightweights Sam Melvin (USA) and Fintan McCarthy (IRL) in heat 3, with Melvin prevailing but McCarthy comfortably in a qualifying position behind him. Aleix Garcia (ESP) posted the fastest time of the heats, aided by the wind dropping off towards the end of the block of racing.

Somalia’s Abdirahman Hassan was eliminated from the regatta, finishing last overall, but still recorded history as his nation’s first-ever World Rowing Championships competitor.

A good day for Latin America in the light singles

Latin American rowing fans have plenty to look forward to in the lightweight single sculls finals, with Mexico and Uruguay both qualifying their men’s and women’s entrants through to the medal races. Kenia Lechuga (MEX) shot out to an early lead in her semifinal which she never relinquished, while Nicole Yarzon (URU) was second to Femke van de Vliet in the second semifinal. On the men’s side, Alexis Lopez (MEX) took second behind European champion Petros Gkaidatzis (GRE), while defending champion Felipe Kluver (URU) was third in the other semifinal, behind Fabio Kress (GER) and Mikita Karneyeu (AIN1).

Reigning pairs champions on course to defend

Reigning men’s and women’s pairs world champions New Zealand and Romania both seem to be on track to defend their 2025 titles in Friday’s finals. Oliver Welch and Benjamin Taylor (NZL) won their semifinal ahead of Australia without having to resort to a huge sprint; Matteo Lodo and Giovanni Codato took the win in the other semifinal ahead of Spain.

In the women’s event, Simona Radis and her new partner Adriana Adam also posted the fastest time ahead of a tight field from the other semifinal, won by Regina Salmons and Mia Levy of the USA. Codato’s sister Alice also progressed, finishing third alongside Laura Meriano in semifinal 1.

Surprises in doubles

Both the men’s and women’s double sculls continue to thrill. The first semifinal in the women’s double sculls was superb: Lithuania, the fastest from the heats, led through much of the race with Canada, out in lane 6, fighting them for first place. That left reigning champions Roos de Jong and Benthe Boonstra (NED) battling to stay ahead of Salome Ulrich and Fabienne Schweizer (SUI). In the last 500m the Swiss unleashed a phenomenal sprint to claim first, with the Dutch taking second and Canada third. 2025 bronze medallists Tatsiana Klimovich and Alena Furman (AIN) also missed the final. Ireland won the second semifinal, with Italy sprinting from the back of the pack for second and Poland denying Great Britain.

The stacked second semifinal in the men’s double sculls was won by the Netherlands, ahead of Serbia and Spain. Veterans Martin and Valent Sinkovic (CRO) and Olympic champions Romania were off the pace and will contest the B-final. Great Britain, Belgium and Czechia took the qualifying spots from the other semifinal.