Image Credit: World Rowing
Entries: 15
2024 Champions: Ollie Wynne-Griffith & Tom George (Great Britain)
The form crew racing in Plovdiv is Romania, Florin Arteni and Florin Sorin Lehaci. They finished one place off the podium in Paris and won silver and bronze in the pair and eight at the 2024 European Rowing Championships. They both raced in the eight in Paris too, and also raced the eight at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Arteni spent the 2023 season racing in the double and Lehachi in the coxless and they both doubled up in the European silver medal-winning eight. They both also have medals from the 2021 and 2022 European Rowing Championships.
Another crew coming into Plovdiv with a strong pedigree is Spain, Jaime Canalejo Pazos and Javier Garcia Ordonez. This duo were fifth at the Paris Olympics (the best result for a Spanish pair since 1984) and have been racing together as a duo since 2018. Their most successful season to date was 2022 when they won bronze at the European Rowing Championships and silver at the World Rowing Championships. They made the A-final at the Tokyo Olympics and also have a host of World Rowing Cup medals to their credit.
Ireland’s Ross Corrigan and Daire Lynch are another combination with Olympic experience. Corrigan raced in the pair with Nathan Timoney, reaching the A-final (the first for an Irish men’s pair). Lynch had an even better Olympic Games, winning Ireland’s first ever heavyweight men’s Olympic medal when he took bronze in the double with Philip Doyle. They both also won medals at the 2023 World Rowing Championships, each taking a bronze in their respective boat classes.
Eighth at the Paris Olympic Games were the Lithuanian twins, Dovydas and Domantas Stankunas. They have been racing together as a pair since 2021 when they won silver at the U23 World Rowing Championships. On the senior circuit, their best result has been fourth, which they achieved at both the 2022 and 2023 European Rowing Championships.
Another crew with Paris Olympic Games experience is Switzerland. Jonah Plock raced in the quad that finished sixth and Patrick Brunner was in the coxless four that placed ninth. Plock is no stranger to racing in the pair, having competed in that boat class throughout the 2022 season, finishing 13th at both the European and World Rowing Championships. Brunner raced in the quad in 2022 before moving to the four in 2023, winning gold at the opening World Rowing Cup and making the A-final at the European Rowing Championships.
The final crew that comes into Plovdiv with recent Olympic experience is Italy. Giovanni Codato raced in the pair, finishing 12th with Davide Comini. For 2025, he’s joined by Nunzio Di Colandrea. He was U23 world champion back in 2021 and raced in the coxless four at the 2022 World Rowing Championships and 2023 European Rowing Championships.
Amongst the other boats racing, the ones to arguably watch include France. They have Florian Ludwig partnered by Alistair Gicqueau. Ludwig finished 11th in this event last season and Gicqueau won bronze at the 2023 U23 World Rowing Championships.
Prediction
I think this will be a battle between Romania and Spain for the top honours with the Irish snapping at their heels.
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