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May 23, 2024
With only two months left until the start of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the U.S. will have 18 boats racing at this weekend's World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland. The regatta will give the crews a chance to test their speed before final preparations for the Olympics begin in earnest.
In the men's four, Liam Corrigan (Old Lyme, Conn./Harvard University/California Rowing Club), Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pa./Cornell University/California Rowing Club), Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pa./Drexel University/California Rowing Club), and Nick Mead (Strafford, Pa./Princeton University/New York Athletic Club) brought home a silver medal from the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, and will be back to represent the U.S. in the event in Paris later this summer. The quartet is one of 10 crews entered in Lucerne including Great Britain, whose world-champion lineup returns from Belgrade. The Brits recently won the 2024 European Rowing Championships and finished second behind Italy at this year's first world cup stop. New Zealand, who won bronze in 2023, also returns the same lineup for Lucerne.
In the lightweight women's double sculls, Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif./University of Tulsa/ USRowing Training Center – Princeton) and Molly Reckford (Short Hills, N.J./Dartmouth College/New York Athletic Club) have been reunited for Paris after racing in different boats in 2023. Sechser and Reckford finished fifth in the event at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and won a silver medal at the 2022 World Rowing Championships, with Sechser also winning silver in the event in 2023. Sechser and Reckford will take on 10 other crews in Lucerne, including the two-time defending world champions, Imogen Grant and Emily Craig from Great Britain. Grant and Craig won the first world cup in easy fashion over two Italian crews.
Coming off a bronze-medal performance at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in the women's double sculls, Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wis./University of Wisconsin/ USRowing Training Center – Sarasota) and Kristi Wagner (Weston, Mass./Yale University/ARION) were selected for the Olympics back in March. The U.S. duo is one of 14 entries in the event in Lucerne. Lithuania's Dovile Rimkute and Donata Karaliene took the silver medal behind Romania in 2023 and are slated to race in Lucerne, as is the Irish boat of Alison Bergin and Zoe Hyde, who finished fourth in Belgrade. Norway's Inger Seim Kavile and Thea Helseth won the 2024 European Championships, just ahead of the Lithuanians.
In the women's single sculls, Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley/USRowing Training Center - Princeton) earned a spot on her third Olympic team by winning the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Rowing in early April. Kohler, who won bronze in the event at the 2019 World Rowing Championships and finished fourth last year, is one of 23 scullers competing in Lucerne. The field includes The Netherlands' Karolien Florijn, the defending world champion; New Zealand's Emma Twigg, the 2023 silver medalist and reigning Olympic champion; and Australia's Tara Rigney, who won bronze in 2023. Florijn won this year's first world cup. In addition to Kohler, Alina Hagstrom (Seattle, Wash./Oregon State University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) will represent the U.S. in Lucerne. Hagstrom was part of the eight that won silver at last year's world championships.
Oliver Bub (Westport, Conn./Dartmouth College/California Rowing Club) and William Bender (Norwich, Vt./Dartmouth College/California Rowing Club) earned their spot for Paris 2024 in the men's pair by winning the Olympic trials in early March. Bender was part of the pair that finished fifth at last year's world championships, while Bub was a member of the men's eight in Belgrade. The duo is part of a 17-boat field that includes defending world champions Andrin Gulich and Roman Roeoesli of Switzerland and world silver medalists Tom George and Oliver Wynne-Griffith from Great Britain. The British boat won the 2024 European Championships ahead of Romania and Switzerland, as well as the first world cup. In addition to Bub and Bender, the U.S. has a second crew entered in Gus Rodriguez (Rye, N.Y./Brown University/California Rowing Club) and Alexander Hedge (Morristown, N.J./Columbia University/Craftsbury Green Racing Project). Hedge was part of the men's eight at last year's worlds, while Rodriguez raced the men's four in 2022.
In the women's pair, Jessica Thoennes (Highlands Ranch, Colo./University of Washington/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) and Azja Czajkowski (Imperial Beach, Calif./Stanford University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) earned their spot for Paris by winning the Olympic trials. While the U.S. finished sixth in the pair last year, Thoennes was part of the women's eight, while Czajkowski served as an alternate on the team. The duo will take on 13 other pairs in Lucerne including defending world champions Veronique Meester and Ymkje Clevering from The Netherlands and world silver medalists Annabelle Mcintyre and Jessica Morrison from Australia. The Dutch boat won gold at this year' first world cup, while Romania, who will not be competing in Lucene, won the European championships last month. The U.S. also will have Emily Froehlich (Fishers, Ind./University of Texas/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Alie Rusher (West Bend, Wis./Stanford University/California Rowing Club) racing in the pair. Rusher was part of last year's pair, while Froehlich was in the eight in 2023.
The women's four will feature Kaitlin Knifton (Austin, Texas/University of Texas/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Mary Mazzio-Manson (Wellesley, Mass./Yale University/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Conn./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), and Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, R.I./Princeton University/Cambridge Boat Club). The U.S. finished fourth in the event last year and is one of seven entries scheduled to race in Lucerne. The Netherlands, Romania, and Great Britain reached the medal stand in 2023. The Dutch boat returns intact for Lucerne, while the British boat features two lineup changes. Great Britain won the European championships ahead of Romania and The Netherlands, while also taking the first world cup of the season.
The U.S. women's eight of Nina Castagna (Cincinnati, Ohio/University of Washington/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Molly Bruggeman (Dayton, Ohio/University of Notre Dame/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Margaret Hedeman (Concord, Mass./Yale University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Olivia Coffey (Watkins Glen, N.Y./Harvard University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Claire Collins (McLean, Va./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y./Ithaca College/California Rowing Club), Regina Salmons (Methuen, Mass./University of Pennsylvania/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wis./University of Wisconsin/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), and Charlotte Buck (Nyack, N.Y./Columbia University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) will take on Australia, Canada, and Great Britain in Lucerne. The U.S. won silver at last year's world championships behind Romania, with Australia finishing third. Great Britain finished second behind Italy at World Rowing Cup I and second behind Romania at the recent European championships.
The U.S. men's eight will take on Australia, Great Britain, Germany, and The Netherlands at World Cup II. The crew of Clark Dean (Sarasota, Fla./Harvard University/Boston Rowing Federation), Chris Carlson (Bedford, N.H./University of Washington/New York Athletic Club), Peter Chatain (Winnetka, Ill./Stanford University/California Rowing Club), Henry Hollingsworth (Dover, Mass./Brown University/California Rowing Club), Rielly Milne (Woodinville, Wash./University of Washington/California Rowing Club), Nick Rusher (West Bend, Wis./Yale University/California Rowing Club), Evan Olson (Bothell, Wash./University of Washington/Seattle Scullers/Penn AC), Pieter Quinton (Portland, Ore./Harvard University/California Rowing Club), and Christian Tabash (Alexandria, Va./Harvard University/University of California, Berkeley/USRowing Training Center – Sarasota) won the 2024 Final Olympic & Paralympic Qualification Regatta on Tuesday, qualifying for Paris. Great Britain won gold at last year's world championships, followed by The Netherlands, and Australia. The Brits also took home gold from this year's first world cup and the European championships.
The U.S. will have two single scullers racing in Lucerne in Ezra Carlson (Eureka, Calif./University of Washington/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Michael Knippen (Germantown, Wis./University of Wisconsin/USRowing Training Center – Sarasota). Carlson and Knippen will take on 29 other scullers including defending world champion Oliver Zeidler from Germany, world silver medalist Simon Van Dorp from The Netherlands, and world bronze medalist Thomas Mackintosh from New Zealand. Zeidler won gold at both the European championships and the first world cup earlier this year. Carlson was part of the men's eight in 2023, while Knippen raced the eight in 2022.
The U.S. also will have two entries in the lightweight women's single sculls. Sophia Luwis (McLean, Va./The College of William & Mary/Whitemarsh Boat Club) brought home the bronze medal in the event from last year's world championships, while Audrey Boersen (West Olive, Mich./Grand Valley State University/Whitemarsh Boat Club) served as an alternate at last year's worlds. The two scullers will take on 11 other boats in Lucerne including Ireland's Siobhan Mccrohan, the defending world champion, and Mexico's Kenia Lechuga, last year's silver medalist.
Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) will race in the lightweight men's single sculls against nine other scullers. Heese was part of the lightweight men's double sculls at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. The field includes France's Baptiste Savaete, who finished fourth at last year's world championships, Italy's Patrick Rocek, who won this year's first world cup, and Belgium's Marlon Colpaert, who finished second at the 2024 European Rowing Championships.
In the PR1 men's single sculls, Andrew Mangan (Buffalo, N.Y./Stanford University/Texas Rowing Center/West Side Rowing Club) will take on 10 other scullers at World Rowing Cup II. Mangan raced at the World Rowing Final Olympic & Paralympic Qualification Regatta earlier this week, finishing fifth to miss out on qualifying for the Paralympic Games. The world cup field includes the top two finishers from last year's world championships, Ukraine's Roman Polianskyi and Italy's Giacomo Perini. Polianskyi, the two-time defending Paralympic champion, defeated Perini to win last month's European championships.
Racing gets underway Friday with heats, preliminary races, quarterfinals, and select repechages. Saturday's racing will include the remaining repechages, semifinals, and finals in the non-Olympic and non-Paralympic boat classes. Finals in the Olympic and Paralympic boat classes will take place on Sunday. Racing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. local time on Friday and Saturday, with Sunday's racing starting at 8:45 a.m. local time. Click here for the most up-to-date schedule and results.
The live race tracker and live audio will be available for all races on www.worldrowing.com. Live video streaming will be available on the World Rowing website on Sunday starting at 10:00 a.m. local time for the A finals of all World Rowing Cup boat classes.
Rowing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place July 27-August 4. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are scheduled from August 28 to September 8, with Para rowing events beginning August 30.
The full Olympic team will be nominated by June 7, and the complete Paralympic team will be nominated by July 1. For information, updates, and athlete features, visit our Row to Paris page.
Click here for the current rosters of the 2024 Olympic Team and 2024 Paralympic Team.
USRowing would like to thank our national team sponsors including our Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Senior, Under 23, and Para Rowing National Teams, Filippi Lido; our Official Apparel Provider, 776BC; our Official Partner, Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc., our Exclusive Supplement Supplier, Thorne HealthTech; our Official Performance Electronics Outfitter, Nielsen-Kellerman; the National Rowing Foundation; and TrainingPeaks, the Official Training and Coaching Software of USRowing's High Performance Team.
