The Kruszwica regatta course provided cool conditions with a slight cross-tail wind for the finals of the 2021 European Rowing U23 Championships.

Women’s Coxed Four – Final

All four crews had a clean start with Italy being the first to get ahead and Germany also going well. Romania, the winner of the preliminary race, was the slowest off the start. Moving into the second 500m, Italy was still in front and Germany maintaining second place, but Romania was starting to gain some ground. Ukraine was dropping away from the top three, making the medals look fairly set. Into the third quarter, Romania was really starting to put the pressure on and, by the 1,500m, they had taken the lead. Romania was imperious in the final 500m with Italy taking silver and Germany bronze.

Results: ROU, ITA, GER, UKR

Men’s Coxed Four – Final

In the early stages of the race it was Romania and Italy in the centre lanes that took the early lead. By the first timing point, Italy had established half a canvas ahead of Romania, with Great Britain holding third place. The experience of the Italian crew was really starting to show with three of the gold medallists from the recent World Rowing U23 Championships, and with 500m to go, Italy looked comfortable, despite Romania really challenging them. Meanwhile, Romania was comfortably ahead of Great Britain. The medal positions remained unchanged as the crews crossed the line.

Results: ITA, ROU, GBR, UKR, GER

Women’s Pair – Final

With the Czech Republic having withdrawn due to medical reasons, five crews lined up on the start for the final of the women’s pair. After a false start, the race got underway cleanly at the second attempt, with a quick start from the favourites from Croatia. Romania also went off the start fast having won the preliminary race. It was Croatia’s Jurkovic sisters that were first to the 500m timing point, but Romania less than a second behind and Ukraine in third position. Ivana and Josipa Jurkovic, who are reigning World Rowing U23 Champions, started to extend their lead in the third quarter of the race and moved away from the Romanian pair which contained recent Olympian, Adriana Ailincai. There was then several lengths back to the Ukrainian pair.

Results: CRO, ROU, UKR, GRE, GER

Women’s Four – Final

As perhaps expected, it was Romania that established the early lead, the crew containing two of this year’s Olympic eight and two bronze medallists from the same boat class at the 2021 World Rowing U23 Championships. Romania continued to stamp their authority on the race with Poland in second place and a strong performance from the relatively inexperienced British crew. The positions remained unchanged across the finish, with an impressive gold medal for Romania.

Results: ROU, POL, GBR, RUS, ITA, GER

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls – Final

Olivia Bates of Great Britain was the first sculler to make a strong impression, and she held half a second lead over Austria’s Lara Tiefenthaler at 1,000m. Elena Marina Leventelli of Greece was in third place, and the medals were all to play for moving into the third quarter of the race. As the race for silver and bronze heated up, they started to put pressure on Olivia Bates, but she remained control of the race. With 250m to go, it was impossible to be certain which way any of the medals would go. The experience of Tiefenthaler really showed in the closing stages as she moved ahead of Bates with Leventelli taking bronze.

Results: AUT, GBR, GRE, SUI, CZE, SWE

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls – Final

It was a great start for Bulgaria’s Lazar Penev. who took the initiative after Germany’s Nikita Mohr had a fast start. Penev continued to provide a fantastic display of powerful sculling, dominating the race throughout. However, it was all to play for between the silver and bronze medal positions with Germany’s Mohr trying to hold off Norway’s Lars Benske. With Penev crossing the line first, Benske had broken through to take the silver medal pushing Mohr into third place.

Results: BUL, NOR, GER, ITA, DEN, SWE

Lightweight Women’s Pair – Final

The Ukrainian pair of Yana Koval and Anastasiia Poliakova had the fastest first 500m with Italy also having a strong start, trying to get their nose in front. Into the second quarter of the race, Ukraine was struggling slightly to match the speed of Italy. Italy’s Maria Zebroni and Greta Parravicini made a huge move and established a comfortable lead in the second half of the race. With 500m to go, Italy continued to look strong, but Turkey and Poland were also trying to make an impression. Ukraine, the early leaders, had dropped off. Everything got very tight in the closing stages, and there was a real battle for all medal places. Italy held on to gold medal position ahead of Turkey in second and the home favourites Poland took bronze.

Results: ITA, TUR, POL, UKR, HUN

Lightweight Men’s Pair – Final

Germany had a great first 500m, establishing over half a length lead over Italy. The young German duo of Jurek Sauter and Alexander Gross continued to lead at halfway, with Italy’s Giacomo Callo and Francesco Torta continuing to keep the pressure on. Turkey was sitting in bronze medal position, but the real race appeared to be at the front between Germany and Italy. Italy moved into the lead in the second half of the race and Germany dropped right off, allowing Turkey to come through in the last quarter of the race. The German pair really went for it in the closing stages but they didn’t have enough left in the tank to overhaul Samet Kaban and Denizhan Aydin of Turkey. Italy had taken a well-earned gold medal.

Results: ITA, TUR, GER, HUN, MDA, AUT

Lightweight Women’s Quadruple Sculls – Final

Just two crews lined up for this final so it was all to play for. Italy took the early lead, but Germany remained in contact with just half a length between the crews at 500m. Italy continued to try and break clear, but Germany was holding on to them all of the way. Italy crossed the line first with the smallest amount of clear water ahead of Germany.

Results: ITA, GER

Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls – Final

Germany took the early lead, ahead of Italy. The young German crew moved out to a dominating position at the front of the field with the three other crews fighting for the remaining two medals. With 500m to go, Hungary was sitting in second and Poland in third. Germany crossed the line first to take a comfortable gold medal. Italy had come through the pack and took silver under 0.3 seconds ahead of Hungary, with Poland coming in fourth.

Results: GER, ITA, HUN, POL

Women’s Single Sculls – Final

After the second false start of the finals, it was a good start for all six scullers with Spain’s Esther Briz Zamorano getting out in front. The wind had picked up slightly in the first part of the course, potentially affecting the strategy of the scullers. Simona Radis, who won Olympic gold in Tokyo just few weeks ago in the double scull, moved into the lead in the second quarter of the race, and started to look very comfortable at the front of the pack. Aurelia-Maxima Janzen of Switzerland started to put some pressure on in the third quarter of the race and looked to be challenging for a medal but needed to get ahead of Anna Santruckova from the Czech Republic first. Janzen worked her way through the pack with an impressive second half to take the silver medal.

Results: ROU, SUI, CZE, ESP, ITA, HUN

Men’s Single Sculls – Final

The men’s single sculls was the biggest boat class of the Championships and had 20 entries. Emil Neykov of Bulgaria was hoping to match his gold from the recent World Rowing U23 Championships with European gold. Local sculler, and silver medallist from the 2021 World Rowing U23 Championships, Piotr Plominski, was actually the fastest in the first quarter of the race, but then Neykov started to make his move. Swiss sculler Kai Schaetzle was also in the mix for medals at the halfway marker and the top three were starting to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. It was really heating up for the gold medal between Neykov and Plominski, with the Bulgarian sculler just holding to the lead. Meanwhile, Schaetzle made his ‘famous move’ to steal the silver from Plominski in the closing stages.

Results: BUL, SUI, POL, SLO, TUR, MDA

Men’s Pair – Final

It was a quick start from all of the crews. Great Britain steered out of their lane slightly, but quickly readjusted. Romania took the early lead and established half a length lead over Lithuania’s Dovydas and Domantas Stankunas, who took silver in the same boat class at this year’s World Rowing U23 Championships. At halfway, Romania had extended their lead to just over a second ahead of Lithuania, with Italy in third place and then clear water back to Poland who was having a battle of their own with Great Britain. By 1,500m, Lithuania really increased their rating to try and overhaul Romania and they seemed to have the momentum, and moved into the lead with Romania fading. Italy didn’t quite have enough to move into second place, and took bronze. Meanwhile, Great Britain had come out on top of the battle with Poland and took fourth place, with Denmark, also taking advantage of the battle, and moving into fifth.

Results: LTU, ROU, ITA, GBR, DEN, POL

Men’s Four – Final

Hot favourites Romania, with three Olympians on board, had taken half a length advantage by 500m in a very fast time of 01:22.61, ahead of Belarus and Poland. Poland moved into second place in the third quarter of the race, and was looking very strong, but not managing to close the gap on Romania. Further back, Italy was sitting in fourth and trying to overhaul Belarus and secure a place on the medal podium, but there was a lot of work to be done. Romania held on to the lead all the way to the line despite a very strong final sprint from Poland.

Results: ROU, POL, BLR, ITA, SUI, GRE

Lightweight Women’s Double Scull – Final

Although there was only five entries, the field was absolutely stacked with all five crews having raced at the 2021 World Rowing U23 Championships. The doubles got underway quickly, with a fantastic start from Zsofia Csepel and Eszter Fehervari from Hungary. By 1,000m, Mervenur Uslu and Elis Ozbay of Turkey had moved into the lead with Poland having moved into silver medal position, and Hungary slipping back to third place. The Turkish scullers, who are reigning World U23 Champions in this boat class, really started to move away. Poland was in second place, and Hungary was starting to pay for their fast start and looked to be slipping out of the medal zone. Italy moved through into bronze medal place, with Russia taking fourth and Hungary coming through in fifth.

Results: TUR, POL, ITA, RUS, HUN

Lightweight Men’s Double Scull – Final

Bronze medallists from this year’s World Rowing U23 Championships, Belgium, took the early lead, ahead of Turkey. Marlon Colpaert and Tibo Vyvey of Belgium looked really relaxed in the third quarter of the race, making their lead look effortless as they tried to break clear of the Swiss double of Gian Struzina and Raphael Ahumada Ireland. It went to a photo finish for the silver medal place with it eventually being confirmed that Enes Gok and Sefik Cakmak of Turkey had taken the silver medal, 0.02 seconds ahead of Switzerland.

Results: BEL, TUR, SUI, POL, POR, ITA

Women’s Quadruple Sculls – Final

It was Russia who established the early lead, with reigning World U23 Champions Switzerland sitting in second place at 500m. By halfway, Russia were starting to dominate, but the race for the remaining medals was getting very interesting with Poland having moved into second place, just ahead of Switzerland. Russia had a very high rate of striking and that, combined with sheer power, allowed them to continue to move away from the field. Switzerland had moved back into silver medal position by 1,500m, with Poland keeping the pressure on all of the way.

Results: RUS, SUI, POL, ROU, CZE, BLR

Men’s Quadruple Sculls – Final

Great Britain took the early lead, with Belarus and Poland going with them. However, it was disaster for Great Britain in the second quarter when they appeared to catch a crab and dropped from 1^st to last place. The Czech Republic took advantage and established a handy lead with Belarus and Poland sitting in the silver and bronze medal positions respectively. With 500m remaining, the Czech Republic were continuing to dominate and a great battle was developing between Poland and Italy for bronze. With Belarus crossing the line second, it was heartbreak for the home nation as Italy moved through to take the bronze medal.

Results: CZE, BLR, ITA, POL, GER, GBR

Women’s Eight – Final

With only three crews, it was a race for the medals. Romania got the early lead, the crew being a combination of their Olympians and U23s, the crew being stroked by Simona Radis who had won gold in the single scull just under two hours earlier. In the first half, Germany maintained contact with Romania with Poland slipping back in third place. Eventually, Romania broke through and established a quarter length of clear water ahead of Germany. Romania continued to dominate but Poland was not letting Germany get away with the slightest overlap remaining between the crews for the majority of the race. There was huge elation for the German crew as they crossed the line behind a much more experienced Romanian crew.

Results: ROU, GER, SUI

Men’s Double Sculls – Final

As expected from the heats, Greece and Great Britain established the early lead. The Greek duo have a lot of pedigree whereas the British were perhaps a surprise in the heats. The British duo was leading Greece by a tiny margin 500m into the race, with Belarus in third place. By halfway, Great Britain had extended their lead to almost two seconds over Greece with Belarus continuing to sit in bronze medal position. In the third quarter, Moldova put on a big push to try and close the gap to Belarus. With Great Britain looking very relaxed at 1,500m, Greece was starting to look tired, and the British were extending their lead. The positions remained unchanged the finish with Great Britain taking their first gold of the Championships.

Results: GBR, GRE, BLR, MDA, LTU, SUI

Women’s Double Sculls – Final

Romania went out to an early lead, taking Austria with them, but by the 500m marker, Greece had moved into the lead and had established just over half a second over Romania with Lithuania in bronze medal position. The Greek duo looked made their sculling look fairly effortless whilst the Romanians looked to be having to work really hard to maintain their position. Greece had established a lead of almost three seconds by the halfway marker, and continued to look strong. The battle was unfolding for silver and bronze between Lithuania and Romania. Into the final quarter of the race, it looked like Romania would come out on top of the battle, as they even started to close the gap on Greece, who had to respond.

Results: GRE, ROU, LTU, SUI, BEL, AUT

Men’s Eight – Final

In the last race of the Championships, five men’s eights went off fast. Romania had clear intent to lead from the start, with a slightly higher rating over the rest of the field. They established a quarter of a length over Great Britain and Germany. By halfway, Great Britain had made their move and crept into gold medal position with Romania sitting in second, and Germany in third. The British soon established a strong lead over Romania and the Czech Republic was starting to put the pressure on Germany. Great Britain remained in a strong position, responding to every attack from Romania, and Germany just managed to hold off the Czech Republic.

Results: GBR, ROU, GER, CZE, UKR

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Rowers to watch: European Rowing Under 23 Championships

European U23 champions crowned in Kruszwica

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