Image Credit World Rowing
Entries: 7
World Rowing Cup I Winner: Netherlands
Lucerne will be the last senior-level World Rowing competition before the World Rowing Championships in September. Nations are dialling in their boat strategies and crew lineups—only one of the seven crews racing this event is a new combination.
The front-runner for this event is Germany, who won silver at both the European Rowing Championships and the Varese World Rowing Cup with the same lineup. Pia Greiten, Paris bronze medallist in this event, sits in the three-seat. Lisa Gutfleisch, Frauke Hundeling, and Sarah Wibberenz placed seventh in the quad at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. This crew hopes to claim the gold medal and the overall World Rowing Cup title (for the second consecutive year) in Lucerne.
Surprisingly close to the Germans in Varese were the crew from Czechia – after finishing ninth at the European Rowing Championships, they had a phenomenal race to claim the bronze medal. Terezie Janstova and Alzbeta Zavadilova have stepped up to senior level this season after a seventh place at the 2024 U23 World Rowing Championships in the quad. Marketa Nedelova and Michala Pospisilova spent 2023 in the double and 2024 in the quad, placing 11th at the European Rowing Championships. Their momentum should power them to another great race with Germany, especially if they can improve their final 500m sprint.
Romania is sending its 2024 Olympic crew, which won the B-final. Recently, three of this crew placed fifth at the European Rowing Championships. Emanuela-Ioana Ciotau and Patricia Cires have won the past two U23 world titles in this event, following a silver in 2022. Alexandra Ungureanu was part of that crew in 2022 and 2023 as well. Ciotau, Cires, and Cristina Druga were in the sixth-place crew at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. Lucerne may be Romania’s opportunity to claim a podium position in this event, finally.
Finishing in eighth at the European Rowing Championships (one place ahead of Czechia), Poland should be able to make the A-final in Lucerne. Their crew includes Barbara Jechorek, a 2023 U23 world champion in the four and Anna Khlibenko, a 2024 U23 world silver medallist in the quad. Zuzanna Lesner has raced at the senior level for several years in the four, and Julia Rogiewicz moves from the bow seat up to the stroke seat in her second senior race.
China are sending two crews, who placed sixth and seventh in Varese. Confusingly, they are sticking with the label China 2 for their faster crew, which includes Wanning Ren, who placed seventh at the 2023 World Rowing Championship in the eight. Her crewmates Guoting Zhang, Yu Shi and Xinting Kang all made their international debuts in Varese.
The second boat, China 1, was well off the pace in Varese, but they are essentially a very young U23 crew. 20-year-old Yaxin Guo joins the three teenagers Yuling Feng, Yiting Chen and Xiaoling Sun. They will be unlikely to race the final, but will hope to continue gaining experience in their second international event.
Last but not least, the Swiss have entered a quad again after skipping the event in Varese. There appears to be quite a bit of shuffling between sculling boats this season for the Swiss, which may hurt their chances in the quad compared to crews with more training time together. Olivia Nacht and Nina Wettstein placed seventh in the quad at the European Rowing Championships. Nacht and Olivia Negrinotti placed 12th and 15th in singles in Varese, while Wettstein and Olivia Roth placed ninth in the double. This crew should have a good battle with Poland for fourth place.
Prediction
Germany to claim gold, Czechia silver, and Romania taking bronze over Poland.
