Image Credit: World Rowing
Entries: 19
Lauren Henry of Great Britain will start as favourite in Varese. The new European champion and European record holder stamped her mark on this boat class in Plovdiv, her first senior outing in the single scull. The world and Olympic champion in the quad outclassed a powerful field and one that was probably stronger than the one she will face in Varese so she will be full of confidence in continuing her unbeaten run.
Henry’s main challenge will most likely be Anna Prakaten of Uzbekistan. She was an Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo, racing for Russia (or rather the “Russian Olympic Committee”), but since switching nations, she has struggled to repeat that sort of form. 15th at the 2023 World Rowing Championships, she ended last season with an 11th-place finish in Paris.
Belgium’s Mazarine Guilbert won the B-final in Plovdiv. She made her senior international debut at the 2024 European Rowing Championships, finishing eighth, and then went on to take a bronze medal at the U23 World Rowing Championships last year.
Australia has selected Laura Gourley to race the single in Varese. She was a member of the quad that finished eighth in Paris and raced in the double in 2023, which finished eighth. She is no stranger to racing the single, having finished eighth at the U23 World Rowing Championships in 2022.
Another Paris Olympian lining up in Varese is Beatriz Cardoso of Brazil. She finished 15th last year and also took bronze in the single at the 2023 Pan American Games.
China come to Varese with two single scullers, Ruiqi Liu and Yan Li. Liu raced the single at the 2023 World Rowing Championships (her last international appearance) and finished 14th, although she also has a fourth-place finish from the second World Rowing Cup in 2023, so she does have some form in the boat. Li has made one senior international appearance with an 11th place in the quad at the second World Rowing Cup of 2023.
Canada’s representative in the single is Katie Clark. She was a member of the quad that just missed out on qualification for the Paris Olympic Games, and in 2023, she raced in the double, culminating in a 15th place at the World Rowing Championships.
Germany had high hopes for a medal at the European Championships with Alexandra Foester. However, her disappointing 11th in Plovdiv means that Varese’s seat in the single goes to Juliane Faralisch instead. The University of California graduate raced in the single during the 2024 World Rowing Cup series, recording a best result of silver at the final event in Poznan.
Olivia Nacht of Switzerland is the only other sculler racing in Varese who also competed at the European Rowing Championships last month. She raced in the quad that won the B-final in Plovdiv. She is a former lightweight with a best result of bronze in the lightweight women’s double from the opening World Rowing Cup of 2023.
Switzerland has a second sculler racing, Olivia Negrinotti. She makes her senior international debut after racing for the U23 team in 2023, finishing fourth in the double.
The USA’s Maggie Fellows was the sculling spare for the US team at the 2023 World Rowing Championships, having raced in the quad to a ninth-place finish at the 2022 World Rowing Championships. As a single sculler, she raced at the third World Rowing Cup last year, just missing the podium. She also has medals from the 2019 Pan American Games.
Prediction
Henry to take the gold with Gourley in silver and Prakaten in bronze.
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