Jun 13, 2026
Team USA
All Crews Advance on Day 2 of World Cup II
The U.S. team advanced every boat through its races on Saturday at World Rowing Cup II in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Led by a dominant showing in the men's single sculls and strong semifinal performances across multiple boat classes, the United States secured spots in several A finals.
Jacob Plihal and Sam Melvin faced off in the men's single sculls semifinal. Plihal took an early lead while Melvin settled into fifth place through the opening 500 meters. Plihal continued to extend his advantage through the middle of the race as Melvin steadily worked through the field, moving into second by the 1,500-meter mark. The sprint to the finish featured the two Americans at the front of the field, with Plihal holding his lead to win in 6:43.12 and Melvin following closely in 6:44.71. Both athletes advanced to Sunday's A final.
In the men's pair semifinal, the two U.S. crews battled throughout the course. Peter Chatain and Gus Rodriguez held a slight advantage over Sam Sullivan and Nathan Phelps in the opening 500 meters, sitting third and fourth, respectively. Chatain and Rodriguez moved into second place before the halfway mark, while Sullivan and Phelps made their move in the third 500 meters, overtaking Turkey to put themselves into third. Chatain and Rodriguez crossed the line in 6:28.10 to secure their place in the A final. Sullivan and Phelps held off a late charge from Uzbekistan to claim the final qualifying spot in 6:30.30.
Cedar Cunningham and James Wright found their rhythm in the men's double sculls semifinal. The Americans established an early advantage over New Zealand in the first 500 meters and remained locked in a close battle through the first half of the race. Romania stayed within striking distance, but Cunningham and Wright maintained their position to finish second in 6:16.67 and advance to the A final.
In the preliminary race of the women's eight, the United States faced China and delivered a commanding performance. The Americans led from start to finish, crossing the line in 6:09.07 to win the race and build momentum heading into Sunday's final.
The U.S. men's eight finished third in its preliminary race behind Italy and China. The crew will return to the course on Sunday in the final.
Racing concludes Sunday with finals across all events, beginning with the U.S. men's four competing in the B final. Results and information can be found here.
