Race report: History-making thrills on the Bosbaan as finals begin

Mexico finished the first day of finals at the 2026 World Rowing Championships on top of the medal table after their first two women’s gold medals in history, marking the first time they have won more than one medal at a single championships. Thursday’s racing started and ended with landmark moments, with the USA becoming the first to beat Great Britain in the PR3 mixed coxed four in 15 years.

Mexico stun in lightweight women’s doubles

Mexico took a superb win in the lightweight women’s double sculls with the unheralded duo of Aylin Ibarra and Melissa Marquez storming out of the blocks and never letting their lead go. Greece’s Paschalina Mouratidou and Gavriela Lioliou, the under-23 world champions, did their best to close the gap but Mexico kept responding to claim a first-ever women’s World Championship title for their nation. Behind them, Khadija Krimi and Selma Dhaouadi (TUN) backed up last year’s breakthrough silver medal with bronze.

Results: MEX, GRE, TUN, PER, BRA, PAR

Krimi said: “Our biggest strength is that we are tough mentally, so we kept challenging ourselves and keep hunting the third place.”

Uzbekistan win first-ever World Rowing Championships medal

Uzbekistan have been gradually breaking through on the world stage, with medals at age group World Rowing Championships and the World Rowing Cups in recent years, but they had never previously won a senior World Rowing Championships medal until today. Shakhzod Nurmatov and Sobirjon Safaroliyev opened up a clear-water lead in the second 500m, and that was enough to hold on even as under-23 world champions Naveen Alexander Shah and Maximilian Ruehling (GER) tried to close the gap. Meanwhile Jamie Copus and Sean Richardson took bronze for the USA after rowing down India.

Results: UZB, GER, USA, IND, NED, BRA

Nurmatov said: “The race was good, but hard. Our coach told us to go fast from start to finish.”

Gold for Greece’s Gkaidatzis

A superb lightweight men’s single sculls final initially saw five boats across, before 2026 European champion Petros Gkaidatzis (GRE) took control of things and opened out too big a margin to be caught. Behind him the race for the minor medals was a three-boat thriller, with Fabio Kress (GER), Alexis Lopez (MEX) and 2025 world champion Felipe Kluver (URU) all in the mix. At one point Kluver seemed out of it, but he found an extraordinary turn of speed in the last 200m to row down not only Kress but also Lopez and take silver; the Mexican settling for bronze.

Results: GRE, URU, MEX, GER, USA, AIN1

Gkaidatzis said: “I’ve waited a long time for this medal. The race was very good. I was very concentrated on the race, I wanted it very much, and I think the strategy was executed very well.”

Lechuga completes her set

The oldest and most experienced athlete in the lightweight women’s single sculls field, Kenia Lechuga (MEX) finally added gold to her World Rowing Championships medal collection after silver in 2023 and bronze last year. Lechuga went out hard and never looked back, not giving an opportunity to any of her rivals. Behind her, European champion Mariia Zhovner (AIN1) claimed silver after holding off efforts from Femke van de Vliet (NED).

Results: MEX, AIN1, NED, AIN2, USA, URU

Lechuga said: “All the years, my 20 years in rowing, I was trying to do my best, and this is the result.”

Germany time things to perfection to win PR2 Mix2x

For much of the PR2 mixed double sculls final, it looked like China would defend their title. After Uzbekistan had led the field to 500m, the reigning world champions China and European champions Germany drew level and there was nothing in the race at halfway. But China stretched out to a lead of a second by 1500m, and continued to lead through most of the last quarter. But Germany sprinted from 250m out and got their bows in front with about 60 metres to go, going on to claim gold by half a length. Israel took a second bronze medal in a row.

Results: GER, CHN, ISR, UZB, UKR, USA

Bier said: “We did our final sprint, that’s our big strength, and this time we stayed on their side and we kept fighting. We knew in the end we had it in us, and absolutely went for it.”

USA finally snap British winning streak

After 15 years, the longest winning streak in rowing – and perhaps all sport – is over. The USA won the PR3 mixed coxed four gold medal with a tactically perfect race, pushing Great Britain off the top of the podium for the first time since 2010. The British led out the race and had a length’s lead at halfway, but the USA started moving and had closed to half a length with 500m to go. Their momentum was unstoppable, and the British could not respond. The USA claimed gold, Great Britain silver, and France had an exceptional last 500m to take bronze from Italy. The USA also set a World Rowing Championships best time of 6:46.60.

Results: USA, GBR, FRA, ITA, AUS, GER

USA coxswain Hannah Diaz said: “Our coach said from land that we’re a second-half crew, the race doesn’t start until the 1k. So we just kept that mentality and knew once we started walking it was over.”

Favourites cruise through in PR1 heats

The heats of the PR1 single sculls saw defending champions Anna Sheremet (UKR) and Benjamin Pritchard (GBR) post the fastest times. Sheremet was a whopping 39 seconds clear of her nearest competitor, international debutante Laurence VandeVyver (BEL), who impressed to win heat 1. The men’s field is tighter, and Erik Horrie (AUS) and Giacomo Perini (ITA) both looked controlled to win heats 2 and 3 respectively – but Pritchard also posted the fastest first 500m split of the day, and showed his desire to reclaim his title.

British beaten in men’s fours semis

The USA are reigning Olympic champions in the men’s four, but none of this year’s crew were in that boat. However, they put themselves in pole position for a world medal after winning their semifinal, defeating the previously unbeaten British world champions and setting the fastest time of the two races. The Netherlands won semifinal 2 ahead of Germany.

The USA were also the fastest crew in the women’s four semifinals, winning by an eight-second margin over Romania in their race. Australia, winners of semifinal 1, were about 1.5 seconds slower, and the race for gold looks set to be between these two crews.

USA, Italy lead the way in quads

Continuing a strong afternoon for the USA were their quadruple sculls. Their women had a slow start but came through the pack to claim the win in their semifinal and also set the fastest time, with semifinal 1 winners the Netherlands 1.5 seconds back on the clock.

In the men’s quadruple sculls, reigning champions Italy were off the pace early on in their semifinal, but a strong second 500m gave them a lead they never relinquished, ahead of the Netherlands and Poland, with Croatia a narrow fourth. In the second semifinal Great Britain, Germany and the USA were locked in a three-way battle throughout, with the British emerging on top by 0.21 seconds.