Image Credit: World Rowing
Entries: Five
With the removal of this event at the Olympic level, there has been an understandable slump in the entries for Poznan, with 2024’s entry of nine crews falling to five this year. The only athlete to return from the cohort in St Catherine’s is France’s Rose Gallen; the 20-year-old is joined by Justine Dias, who previously raced in the lightweight single. This duo previously raced together at the 2023 World Rowing Junior Championships, finishing in the top half of the openweight event. This time around, they will have more time to prepare as they eye the top honours in the lightweight division.
The defending champions from Greece enter the field with an all-new lineup. Gavriela Lioliou is the headliner, as her last race on the world stage was a phenomenal comeback in the double sculls at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Canada. Joining her is the still-junior Paschalina Mouratidou. The 16-year-old had her first major international showing at this year’s European Junior Rowing Championships, winning silver in the quad, but will step up to the U23 level to race in this lightweight event. A strong vote of confidence from the Greek selectors, they will have hopes for a medal from this crew.
Another young crew comes from Italy. Their double of Gloria Licciardi and Alice Lauletta both made their international debut in the same quads race in central Poland, with the Azzurri finishing fourth. At the U23 selection trials, the young combination won a commanding victory over their rivals. This was a rather uncompetitive field, so it remains to be seen how they can handle themselves against a global field.
From Poland is the combination of Amelia Pawlowska and Maria Taczek. Pawlowska is an experienced international, having raced at World and European Rowing Championships as a junior. Her U23 debut came last year at the U23 European Rowing Championships, finishing third in the five-boat field in this boat class. Taczek, the AZS Szczecin sculler, has more of her international experience in coastal rowing but joined Pawlowska for her international classic rowing debut, winning bronze in Türkiye eleven months ago. With the combination reuniting, there will be hopes for a medal in this outfit.
The fifth entry in this field is from Germany, as Nathalie Sendjuk, a beach sprint international, is joined by Carolin Oldenkott, a debutant on the international stage. This combination of Berlin and Düsseldorf emerged from a strong field at the national U23 championships to earn their place on the start line, where they will be among the least experienced in the field. However, having earned the right to represent their country, they will want to give a good showing for themselves and may well impress.
Prediction
With the crews having very little previous international experience, this will be a hard one to pick, but my instinct says the experienced French crew will take home gold.
