5 Crews Advance on Day Three of 2026 World Rowing Championships

The U.S. continued to build on its performance on Day 3 of the 2026 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, with five crews advancing to their next rounds of racing. The women’s pair and men’s single earned victories, and the women’s single finished second in her heat. Both lightweight singles also advanced to the A Finals. Three U.S. crews concluded their racing today, competing in the C and D Finals.

Women’s Single Sculls Heat

Olympian Lauren O’Connor (Belleville, Wis.) got off to a strong start, getting her bow out in the opening strokes of the race. Britain, Germany and the U.S. battled closely in the first half of the race with only a second separating all three. British rower Lauren Henry made her move in the third 500 meters to secure the lead, with O’Connor pushing away from Germany. O’Connor earned an automatic qualifying spot for the Friday quarterfinals with her second-place finish with a 7:59.74 in the fastest heat of the day. 

Lauren O’Connor raced in the women’s double sculls with Olympian Kristi Wagner at World Cup II this summer, winning a silver medal.

“That's what I've been working towards as a profile for a race, said Lauren O’Connor. “There were a lot of points that I have been trying to get down, especially moving through that third 500 and being able to keep pushing and push the split a little bit more in that moment. I think it was what I've been aiming for. I don't think it's something that I've done a lot in the past but it's exciting to be able to move forward in my race profile.”

Men Single Sculls Heat

In the men’s single sculls, Sam Melvin (Huntington Beach, Calif.) got off the line in second place behind Ireland’s Olympic gold medalist Fintan McCarthy, a fellow former lightweight who transitioned to openweight. Melvin moved into the lead in the second 500 meters and continued to pull away from second place in the third 500 meters. He crossed the finish line with open water between him and the rest of the field, earning a spot in Friday’s quarterfinals with a time of 7:16.47.

Melvin also had a strong showing in the World Cup series this summer, winning gold at World Cup II and bronze at World Cup III.

Men’s Pair C Final 

Samuel Halbert (Redmond, Wash.) and Blake Vogel (Mars, Pa.) took the lead early in the first 500 meters of the C Final in the men’s pair. The Americans extended their advantage over second-place Slovenia through the halfway mark. Ireland and Germany mounted a challenge in the closing strokes, but the U.S. held its composure to cross the finish line first by a length over Ireland in 6:51.74. They finished the regatta 13th overall. 

Women’s Double Sculls C Final

Isa Darvin (Madison, Wis.) and Olympian Grace Joyce (Northfield, Ill.) settled into fifth place in the opening thousand meters of the women’s double sculls C Final while Greece took the lead. The Americans gained speed in the second half of the course, passing Romania and putting Austria in third place under pressure in the lane next to them. Darvin and Joyce made a strong push in the closing sprint, but were unable to overtake Austria. They finished fourth in the C Final with a time of 7:26.18, placing 16th overall.

Men’s Double Sculls D Final

The Americans moved into fourth in the first 500 meters of the race as Turkey took the lead. Willem Drescher (Gainesville, Va.) and James Fetter (Palo Alto, Calif.) pushed into second in the second 500 meters and continued to close the gap on the Turkish crew. The U.S. took the lead at the 1,200-meter mark and extended its advantage to a length by the third 500 meters. The Americans maintained their composure through the closing sprint to win the D Final and finish 19th overall.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls

Claire Friedlander (Narberth, Pa.) finished third in the lightweight women’s single sculls semifinal to secure a spot in the A Final. Friedlander got off the start in fourth place before moving past Singapore in the second 500 meters to take third. The American continued to build a lead on fourth place in the second half of the course, crossing the line in third place with a time of 8:58.44, with Mexico taking the win. Friedlander will race in the A Final tomorrow. 

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls

In the lightweight men’s single sculls, Justin Schmidt (Westport, Conn.) battled closely with the Netherlands and Austria through the first 500 meters before moving decisively into third in the second 500 meters. Schmidt closed quickly on Mexico in the sprint but was unable to overtake Alexis Lopez Garcia for second. He finished third in 7:26.83 and will race in the A Final tomorrow.

Women’s Pair

Olympian Regina Salmons (Methuen, Mass.) and Mia Levy (Des Moines, Iowa) won their pair semifinal with a strong sprint to edge the French crew. The U.S., France, and Czech Republic battled closely through the first 500 meters before France opened a lead in the second 500, with the Americans moving into second. Salmons and Levy remained composed and steadily closed the gap in the final 500 meters, surging past France to win by 0.84 seconds. The victory sends the World Cup III gold medalists into Friday’s A Final.

Racing continues Thursday with the A Final in the lightweight men’s and women’s single sculls, lightweight men’s double sculls, PR2 mixed double sculls and PR3 mixed coxed four; and semifinals in the men’s and women’s fours and quadruple sculls.

Follow the results and schedule here. Livestream coverage will be available on YouTube and Overnght. Photos of the event can be found here.

USRowing would like to thank Filippi Lido, the Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Senior and Para Rowing National Teams. Under the agreement, Filippi is providing USRowing a fleet of boats for international competitions, including the World Rowing Cup regattas, World Rowing Championships, Olympic Games, and Paralympic Games, as well as a domestic training fleet for the USRowing Training Centers.