2025 European Rowing Championships – Women’s Eight Preview

Image Credit: World Rowing

Entries: 7

2024 Winner: Romania

The women’s eight event at the 2025 European Rowing Championships features a compelling lineup of crews. This is the first senior World Rowing event since the Paris Olympic Games nine months ago. There are eight entries, an exciting shift from the last quadrennial. Many athletes are doubling up into the eight from smaller boats. Is this going to be a consistent trend we see through to LA?

Romania’s entry includes a formidable crew with five athletes returning from their gold-medal-winning boat at the Paris 2024 Olympics: Maria Magdalena Rusu, Roxana Anghel, Ancuta Bodnar, Maria Lehaci, and Simona Radis. They are joined by Adriana Adam, Amalia Beres, Ioana Vrinceanu, and coxswain Victoria Stefania Petreanu. Romania has an extraordinary record in this boat class over the past several quadrennials. With such a strong contingent of returning Olympic champions, Romania enters as my clear favourite for gold.

Great Britain will field a new crew in the women’s eight, including three athletes who won bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Heidi Long, Lauren Irwin, and Eve Stewart. They will be joined by Daisy Bellamy, Amelia Standing, Martha Birtles, Lauren Carey, Eleanor Brinkoff, Megan Slabbert, and coxswain Jack Tottem. While a new combination, the presence of Olympic medallists and other experienced international rowers makes the British crew a strong contender for a medal.

The crew from the Netherlands includes several Paris 2024 Olympic champions and Olympians in the women’s four and pair, making it a crew that should be top contenders for the European Rowing Championship title.

Italy earned a bronze medal in the women’s eight at the 2024 European Rowing Championships. Their rising performance in this event suggests they will aim for another medal in Plovdiv.

Germany finished fourth in the women’s eight at the 2024 European Rowing Championships. Over the last several years, Germany has been building its women’s sweep programme, and it will be exciting to see how this investment has translated into boat speed.

Prediction

I think Romania will claim gold, with Great Britain taking silver, and the Netherlands securing bronze.