After the first eight sets of medals were awarded yesterday at the 2024 World Rowing Senior, Under 23 & Under 19 Championships in St Catharines, Canada, the remaining thirteen medal finals for the U23 boat classes took place today.

U23 lightweight women’s single sculls (BLW1x) – Final A

Portugal and Italy had fast starts but it was Grace Sypher of Australia that crossed the first timing point at 500m first. For Grace, it was her third World Rowing U23 Championships – she had finished 6th in 2022, 4th in 2023 and looked like she was on track to make her first podium this year. Syphers was still in the lead at halfway with Italy’s Giulia Clerici and Germany’s Kristin Burkert-Scholz sitting second and third respectively. As the race came inside the final 500m, the noise from the crowd started to lift, particularly the Australian supporters. She had a massive lead and the gold medal looked certain. The silver was still up for grabs. though. It was close, but Clerici had just held on to the lead to secure the silver. Syphers had not just made it to the podium in her third World Rowing U23 Championships, she had made it to the top of it!

Result: AUS, ITA, GER, POR, RSA, FRA

U23 lightweight men’s single sculls (BLM1x) – Final A

Spain and Italy flew out of the starting blocks – Giovanni Borgonovo keen to defend his title at World U23 Champion. It was Spain’s doubly Olympian Caetano Xose Horta Pombo that was the first to 500m with Borgonovo sitting in second place and Slovakia’s Peter Strecansky in third. While the top two places remained unchanged at halfway, Germany’s Moritz Kuepper had moved into medal zone, having overhauled Strecansky. The Spaniard had a clear-water advantage coming into the final quarter of the race and it looked like he was going to prevent Borgonovo from defending his title. It was an incredible performance from Spain. His time had got him to the line just 0.31 seconds outside of the World Championship Best Time.

Result: ESP, ITA, GER, SVK, ARG, CAN

U23 women’s double sculls (BW2x) – Final A

Romania were leading the way in the initial stages of the race, perhaps unsurprisingly as defending Champions. By halfway, Romania were still leading with Switzerland sitting in second and France in bronze medal position. Romania’s Andrada Maria Morosanu and Iulia Balauca had opened up a significant lead going into the third quarter of the race – it looked like they were untouchable. Meanwhile Lithuania’s Ugne Juzenaite and Saule Kryzeviciute had moved into the medal zone and even into second place, forcing France out of medal contention. It was absolute dominance from Romania – even with the final sprint, nobody could catch them! In fact, they were so fast that they had set a new World Championship Best Time, beating the previous time by 0.19 seconds. Switzerland had reclaimed second place, while Lithuania secured the bronze.

Result: ROU, SUI, LTU, FRA, GER, AUS

U23 men’s double sculls (BM2x) – Final A

Last year’s silver medallists, Jakub Wozniak and Konrad Domanski were first to the 500m marker – looking to improve on their position this year but Australia was just 0.75 seconds behind and the defending Champions, Ireland, sitting in third. Australia and Ireland were being chased by Croatia and Italy – who were neck-and-neck, despite being four lanes apart. With just 500m to go, the Polish duo were starting to look comfortable, but the grandstand was packed with Irish supporters – could they help lift their crew? Poland looked pretty comfortable but the pack was chasing. They had done it. Wozniak and Domanski had bettered their silver medal from last year while it was silver for Australia and Ireland took the bronze.

Result: POL, AUS, IRL, CRO, ITA, LTU

U23 women’s four (BW4-) – Final A

It was a fast start for Great Britain in lane two with Australia going out with them. Coming towards the 500m marker, France were also into the mix, but Great Britain had nearly two seconds lead, while New Zealand were sitting in third. The British crew were looking strong at the front of the field by halfway while New Zealand had overhauled France and were sitting in silver medal position, still overlapping Great Britain. This was a close one. Switzerland and Australia were slipping out the back of the pack while four crews were racing for three medals. Into the third quarter of the race, GB were still in the lead, controlling the race from the front with New Zealand now looking comfortable in second place. There was very little between Australia and France for bronze. The sprint to the line had started. Could GB hold on? They did! And their incredible race had enabled them to set a new World Championship Best Time, phenomenal!

Result: GBR, NZL, AUS, FRA, SUI, AUT

U23 men’s four (BM4-) – Final A

This one was going to be close! Great Britain had a very slight lead, but only 0.37 seconds ahead of New Zealand at 500m, with Australia sitting in third. The positions were unchanged by halfway, but it was still very tight and none of the medals were anywhere near decided at this stage. With 500m to go, the defending Champions, Great Britain had started to open up more of a lead. They were looking calm, cool and collected. Were they going to match the result of the women in the last race? The Australians were chasing hard. This was such a familiar scene in the men’s four. As hard as Australia tried, they just couldn’t catch the British. It was a second consecutive gold for Great Britain’s U23s and the men’s four had defended their title.

Result: GBR, AUS, NZL, FRA, ITA, ROU

U23 lightweight women’s double sculls (BLW2x) – Final A

The reigning World U23 Champions from Greece got out of the blocks very quick – Dimitra Kontou and Evangelia Anastasiadou have come here straight on the back of the Paris Olympic Games. Ireland were sitting in second place with Italy in third, but all six were still very close. By halfway, the Greek duo were looking dominant while Italy had moved into second place with Germany now in bronze medal position. Nobody could catch the Greeks, they were going to defend their title. Meanwhile, it was disaster for Germany in the closing stages when a massive crab enabled France to come through and claim the bronze.

Result: GRE, ITA, FRA, GER, SUI, IRL

U23 men’s quadruple sculls (BM4x) – Final A

A great race was in store in this one. It was Poland who were first to 500m but Czechia were only 0.37 seconds behind and Italy only 0.71 seconds. The other three crews were still also well in the mix. Poland continued to lead at halfway and were opening up more of a gap ahead of Czechia and then Italy. Into the third quarter, Poland appeared to be controlling the race, but then Czechia were starting to close the gap and we knew a sprint was possible from Italy too. Poland were really staring to come under pressure in the closing stages of the race; the Italians were coming, and Czechia too! Had the lead changed? It was impossible to tell! The crowd waited. Poland had held on to it – and that sprint to the line had secured them a new World Championship Best Time by just 0.09 seconds.

Result: POL, CZE, ITA, GER, FRA, GBR

U23 lightweight men’s double sculls (BLM2x) – Final A

The home nation, Canada took the early control of this race. Owen Kudreikis and Giancarlo Dipompeo, both locals from St Catharines had a lead of 1.52 seconds ahead of Austria by the 500m marker with Italy sitting in third. Canada maintained the lead at halfway but a big move had been made by Ireland’s Ciaran Purdy and Donnacha Keeley, and they had moved into second place! With 500m to go, Ireland had taken the lead, and Canada had slipped right out the medal zone – they were not sitting in 4th place, behind Italy and France. Could the home supporters lift their crew to get them back into medal contention? The Irish supporters were going wild too, it was looking good for them! Ireland were coming under pressure from an incredible sprint from Italy, but it just wasn’t enough, it was gold for the Irish! Despite the fast start and early lead, there was no medal for Canada.

Result: IRL, ITA, FRA, CAN, AUT, GER

U23 women’s eight (BW8+) – Final

Germany had been the quickest in the heats, but it was Great Britain the early leaders in the final. The reigning champions from the USA weren’t letting them get away and at halfway, the USA were just 0.78 seconds behind Great Britain with Germany also well in the mix. Wow. This was going to be close. Germany and the USA were not starting to pile the pressure on to the British. Great Britain were having to respond hard and lift their rate. The crowds were on their feet, the noise was increasing. The British women had enough in the tank to hold on to the front of the pack and claim an epic gold medal – finishing the clean sweep for Great Britain in the Olympic women’s sweep boat classes.

Result: GBR, USA, GER, AUS, ROU, ITA

U23 men’s single sculls (BM1x) – Final A

Timo Strache was looking very calm and collected in the early stages of this race. He was on the podium at last year’s World Rowing U23 Championships with a bronze in the double scull. By halfway, Strache was over two seconds clear ahead of the New Zealander, Oscar Ruston with Sweden and Belgium on the chase for the bronze medal. Strache, who had the fastest time coming into this race, was starting to look well in control of the race. The crowds were cheering for Oscar, but surely he couldn’t catch the German? In fact, Ruston was out of the medals all together. The field had closed right up and Sweden’s Erik Kallstrom and Belgium’s Aaron Andries had moved into the medal zone. It was gold for Strache, and he had set a new World Championship Best Time in the process.

Result: GER, SWE, BEL, NZL, POR, IRL

U23 women’s single sculls (BW1x) – Final A

This field was absolutely packed with talent so was hugely anticipated. Alexandra Foester of Germany flew off the start to establish the early lead, and she continued to lead throughout, but she was being chased hard by the familiar Swiss sculler, Aurelia-Maxima Janzen – who she had raced against just a couple of weeks ago in the B Final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Foester looked untouchable, but where were the rest of the medals going to go? Greece’s Evangelia Fragkou, who had won bronze in this boat class last year, had worked her way through the field from sixth at 500m to fourth at 1,000m. Could she challenge for a medal? Foester’s epic performance had allowed her to take almost six more seconds off the World Championship Best Time that she had set herself earlier in the week. Janzen took the silver while Belgium’s Mazarine Guilbert had prevented Fragkou from claiming a second bronze.

Result: GER, SUI, BEL, GRE, FRA, RSA

U23 men’s eight (BM8+) – Final

The last race of the day, and we knew it would be an epic one. After a couple of minutes delay, the race got underway – with the gold, silver, and bronze medal winning nations going again this year. The USA appeared to be the fastest off the start, but Great Britain, the defending champions, were going with them. The USA were still in the lead at 500m, but the British just 0.27 seconds behind and Australia sitting in third place. But it was still incredibly close between five crews with Romania the only crew slightly off the pace. The USA still had just 0.27 seconds lead at halfway. This was going to be tense. 500m to go and Great Britain had taken the lead! Were the USA going to let them get away with it for the second consecutive year? There was nothing they could do, the Brits were running away with it – they crossed the line nearly three seconds clear of the USA, with Australia taking bronze.

Result: GBR, USA, AUS, CAN, ROU, GER

While that’s all for the U23s, there’s still lots more to come with the finals for the senior boat classes tomorrow (Saturday 24 August), and the U19s the day after that.

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