Image Credit: World Rowing
Entries: 17
2024 champion: Jovana Arsic (Serbia)
The women’s single field is star-studded, with thirteen Paris Olympians among the seventeen racers. About half of the field have spent years racing this event internationally, while many others are switching over from crew boats. It will be fascinating to see which athletes step up and make a name for themselves in the LA 2028 quadrennial.
Lauren Henry bowed the Great Britain women’s quad to the Olympic gold. Prior to her incredibly successful run in the quad (including titles at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and 2024 European Rowing Championships), she raced the single at the 2021 and 2022 Under 23 World Rowing Championships placing fourth both times. I predict she will be a force to be reckoned with, back in the smaller boat class.
Three time Under 23 World Rowing Champion, Under 23 World Best Time holder, and winner of the B-final in Paris, Alexandra Foester of Germany will be looking to claim the elusive European title. With a bronze from 2022 and silver from 2024, she will be a strong contender for the top of the podium.
The other Olympic champion in the field is Benthe Boonstra (NED), who stroked the women’s four to victory in Paris. She spent the entire cycle in sweep boats, but had good results in the single internationally as a U23 (seventh at 2021 World Championships) and won gold at the Dutch national championships last month. While she stated she has no expectations for her performance in Plovdiv, I believe she is a strong A-final contender.
Viktorija Senkute (LTU) won the bronze medal in the single sculls in Paris, and will be racing at her fourth European Rowing Championships in this event. She absolutely has the skill and power to stand on the podium, but it may depend on her overall peaking strategy – in 2024 she placed sixth at European Championships prior to her breakthrough performance at the Olympics three months later.
Evangelia Anastasidou of Greece made a huge splash at the 2022 European Championships, when she took home the silver medal in the heavyweight single as a 20-year-old lightweight. A three-time world champion in the U23 lightweight events, Anastasiadou won a silver medal at 2024 Europeans and placed sixth at the Olympics in the open heavyweight pair. She could be a significant medal threat in Plovdiv.
Any European Rowing Championships preview must highlightweight the entry from Romania, who prioritize this event and show incredible early season speed. Alexandra Ungureanu sat in the engine room of the seventh place quad in Paris and is now racing the single for the first time internationally. She brings two U23 world medals and three U23 European medals to the table – a senior medal may be just out of reach in 2025, but she should be a favorite for the A Final.
With so many decorated athletes, but only six spots in the A-final, the semi-finals will be riveting. Watch out for experienced single scullers Tatsiana Klimovich the neutral athlete (eighth in Paris), Virginia Diaz Rivas of Spain (12th in Paris), and Mazarine Guilbert of Belgium (U23 bronze medallist in 2024).
Final mentions for the top ten include Paris Olympians Fabienne Schweizer (SUI) who placed fourth in the quad, Fiona Murtagh (IRL) who placed eighth in the pair, and Claire Bove (FRA) who placed seventh in the lightweight double.
Prediction
Alexandra Foester (GER) for gold, Lauren Henry (GBR) for silver, and Evangelia Anastasiadou (GRE) for bronze.
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