Image Credit: World Rowing
2023 Champions: Marloes Oldenburg, Hermine Drenth, Tinka Offereins, Benthe Boonstra (Netherlands)
Entries: 13
A post-Olympic year, a shortened World Rowing Cup season and a later-than-usual World Rowing Championships have created a unique international racing season at the highest level. Adding to that excitement is the first World Rowing Championships in Asia since 2013 and a stacked field full of rising stars and returning Olympians. Overall, the women’s four lives up to that billing with a phenomenal list of entries.
United States
Coming away from the World Rowing Cup series, the United States flew back across the Atlantic as heavy favourites. Taking the victory in both Varese and Lucerne with two different lineups against strong fields, a strong sweep group is growing at the Princeton training base from which this crew originates. This crew returns to the USA1 lineup from Varese, with three Olympians on board, following Teal Cohen and Kaitlin Knifton’s brief move into the pair in Lucerne. Despite their experience at the highest level, this is still a very young crew: as recently as 2022, all four athletes lined up against each other in the final of the NCAA Championships. Racing together about the best in the world, there is not a crew they can’t beat if all goes well, and they will be hoping to win the United States’ first World Rowing Championship gold in an open event since 2018.
Australia
Also successful in the European leg of their season, the Australian four made their trip home with two World Rowing Cup silver medals. This crew, containing two members of their fourth-place eight from the Paris Olympic Games, has been the closest competitor to the United States offerings in both Varese and Lucerne. Like their opponents from the US, their lineup changed between the two events, and the selectors have opted to keep Emmie Frederico, who joined the crew in Lucerne, in the bow seat. Having headed back to the Australian winter to find the extra speed, the Syracuse graduate will be keen to end her debut season with the senior Rowsellas as a World Rowing Championship medallist. If this crew has had a productive break since Henley Royal Regatta, that will be very possible.
Netherlands
European, World and Olympic Champions in this boat class, the Netherlands will travel to Shanghai with a weight of expectation. This will not be abated by the quality of athletes in the crew, with Tinka Offereins and Hermine Drenth returning from the crew that won Olympic gold in this event, plus champion in the pair: Ymkje Clevering and national team stalwart Nika Vos. This boat class went through several iterations this year, as three of the crew won gold at the European Rowing Championships, while Offereins and Drenth remained in the boat to win bronze in Varese. The complete crew first appeared at Henley Royal Regatta, winning The Town Challenge Cup before moving into an eight to claim The Remenham Challenge Cup five hours later. This impressive performance at their early-season peak suggests they will be genuine contenders at the pinnacle of their season.
Romania
Another lineup stacked with phenomenal talent is the entry from Romania. The central European state loves rowing, bringing home the majority of its Olympic medals across both the last two Games, including two golds and three silvers in Paris. That talented group is well represented here, as it contains three members of their Olympic champion eight, plus Geanina Dumitrita Juncanariu, who was a travelling spare to Paris. This depth of experience, as seen throughout the season, has allowed this crew to succeed, with three of the crew winning silver in this boat class at the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, before moving into the eight to win gold in Lucerne. Largely doubling up into the eight in Shanghai, the Romanians have made a fine art of this process, with Ancuta Bodnar winning a silver in the double to go with her gold in the eight in Paris. In a field with plenty more following this trend, they should be well prepared to succeed in their busy schedule.
Great Britain
Another crew doubling up into the eights is the crew from Great Britain. The traditional rowing powerhouse has brought three of its bronze medal-winning eight from the Paris Olympic Games into this crew, albeit with a different collaborator for this regatta. From their crew who finished fourth in Lucerne and reached the final in The Town Challenge Cup, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart and Heidi Long remain, while Megan Slabbert will replace Daisy Bellamy, as the Oxford Brookes University graduate was forced to withdraw through injury. Bringing a first-year senior international into this pool of established elite talents, the selectors in Caversham have appeared to make this the priority boat among their sweep squad. With that status, there is a level of expectation, as the four will be eyeing a medal in the Friday final.
New Zealand
With a less experienced crew, the New Zealand team brings three new faces to their lineup for these World Rowing Championships as Juliette Lequeux, Rebecca Leigh and Isla Blake made their senior international debut this year. Joining them is Paris Olympian Alana Sherman, who will stroke this crew. Despite this lack of experience, the crew has performed well on the World Rowing Cup scene, finishing fourth in Varese despite a late substitution and earning a bronze medal at full strength in Lucerne. The only women’s sweep entry from New Zealand across this season, the crew has returned to Lake Karapiro to prepare for this regatta and will return, aiming to challenge at the front of this strong field in Shanghai.
Canada
Another crew with a mixture of new faces and old is the Canadian offering. The crew from the Great White North has two athletes who had not raced as senior internationals before this season, Sally Jones and Brenna Randall. Alexis Cronk, while more experienced at this level, is only recently twenty-six, while bow seat Caileigh Filmer returns after her third Olympic games, winning her first medal in the women’s eight. On the international scene, this crew has changed somewhat over the season. While Cronk and Randall raced in the four that finished eighth in Varese and Lucerne, Jones and Filmer are yet to race internationally this season, as previous crew members move across to the quad. It remains to be seen how this change in personnel will impact the crew, but they will have their eyes set on a strong result in Shanghai.
France
Another team with a mixture of experience and youth is the French entry. Providing the experience in the crew is Margaux Bailleul, a Tokyo Olympian in the quad who will be racing in her sixth major global championships. Joining her are three newcomers to this stage as Maelys Dournaux, Mya Bosquet, and Fleur Vaucoret will all race in their first senior World Rowing Championships, having raced in this boat class at the U23 championships this summer. In Poznan, that crew performed well, winning their heat and their semifinal, qualifying with the fastest time, but ultimately finished at the back of the field in sixth overall. Racing at a higher level with a new, more experienced crewmate, they hope to demonstrate that speed from their preliminary races and lay down their best performance when it matters most.
Italy
The only crew in the field made up entirely of previous Olympians is the Italian entry, as three members of the Paris team last summer are joined by Kiri English-Hawke, who raced in Tokyo but missed out at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta for the Paris games, after returning to the team following the birth of her son in October 2023. Since Tokyo, this crew appeared near-completed at the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, with three of this crew finishing fifth in the six-boat field. Following some racing in an eight at their home World Rowing Cup Regatta in Varese, they have returned to this crew with the addition of Aisha Rocek, who raced through the collegiate season, earning All-American honours at the University of Washington. With this addition, plus plenty of time to train, they hope to improve on their season-opening performance and finish a little further up the field in Shanghai.
China
As the host nation, China has entered all but three events at these championships as they look to make the most of their home water. A generation on from the Beijing Olympic Games, this crew contains three previous Olympians, as Rui Ju, Zifeng Wang and Xinyu Lin were all part of the Tokyo squad who brought home more medals than any prior Olympic rowing contingent, with Wang being among the most decorated, having won bronze in the eight in Tokyo, two golds in the 2022 Asian Games and finished sixth in the coxless four in Paris. As a crew, they finished seventh in both Varese and Lucerne, but with the addition of Wang’s illustrious experience, they will hope to reach the A-final on home water.
Ireland
From Ireland, the newest edition of the ‘big strong gorls’ retains two members of their Paris crew who finished first in the B-final, having qualified by winning the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. Joining the crew this year was Aisling Hayes, who made her international debut at the European Rowing Championships this year, at the age of 35. This trio raced together in Lucerne, finishing ninth in the coxless four, but will be joined by an international debutant: Emma Waters. Following a university career spanning the University of Galway and Rutgers University, Waters finished her career with the University of Washington this spring. Stepping into a crew with a mixture of experience both in rowing and life, they will aim to build a strong foundation for the development of top-end women’s weep in Ireland following its largest Olympic contingent ever.
Denmark
After qualifying all three women’s sweep boats for Paris through the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, Denmark had a massive contingent for the Olympic Games last year. 13 months later, the federation will bring a much smaller contingent, with just seven female athletes making the trip to Shanghai. Despite this contraction, new head coach Josh Gatreau found room for three new faces in this crew, with two international debuts being granted in Shanghai, plus Elisabeth Kaalund Keller making the move across from the coastal setup. The one experienced crew member, Nanna Vigild, as the weightlifter-turned-rower, was one of the eight who qualified for Pairs. With some new names in the boat, the national squad is building a new baseline to build on their Paris results through to the Los Angeles Games.
Japan
Rounding out the entry is the crew from Japan, who returned three of their crew who raced at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in 2024, finishing sixth and missing out on qualification by 17 seconds. Joining the crew is Rena Suzuki, an athlete from the NTT East Rowing Club, a national champion in the pair who previously represented Japan at the U19 World Rowing Championship in 2018. This crew has not raced this season, but Suzuki and Akiho Takano raced together in the pair, finishing 14th in both Varese and Lucerne. Back in the larger crew, they will hope it has developed in the last year, as they will need to step up to compete against the best in the world.
Prediction
With previous success on board, I will pick the Netherlands to win gold in Shanghai, followed by the United States and Australia to win their third international medals of the season.
