Entries Set for World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne

Six U.S. boats are scheduled to compete at the second World Rowing Cup regatta of the season, scheduled for May 21-23 on the Rotsee in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The U.S. will have entries in the women's single sculls, men's single sculls, lightweight men's single sculls, women's double sculls, lightweight men's double sculls and men's double sculls. World Rowing Cup II is taking place directly after Lucerne plays host to the 2021 World Rowing Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, which begins this Saturday (May 15).

In total, more than 400 athletes from 41 nations are scheduled to compete at World Rowing Cup II.

In the women's single sculls, Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley) will be competing in her first international race since winning the bronze medal at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. Kohler, a two-time Olympian, won the women's single at the first U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Rowing in February, securing her spot for Tokyo. Eighteen scullers are entered to race in Lucerne including reigning world champion Sanita Puspure of Ireland.

Fresh off their Olympic Trials' victory in the women's double sculls, Gevvie Stone (Newton, Mass./Princeton University) and Kristina Wagner (Weston, Mass./Yale University) will be making their international debut as a crew in Lucerne. Stone, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the women's single sculls, secured her third Olympic berth by winning the double trials. Wagner is a first-time Olympian. Ten crews are entered in the event.

In the men's single sculls, John Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio/Trinity College), a six-time senior national team member, is one of 30 scullers scheduled to race at the World Cup. Graves will be racing at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta and hopes to be a freshly-minted Olympian by the time the world cup race takes place.

In the lightweight men's double sculls, Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia) and Jasper Liu (Phoenix, Ariz./University of Pennsylvania) also will be coming off of the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta where they are trying to qualify for Tokyo. At the world cup, Heese and Liu are one of 18 crews entered in the event.

Likewise, the men's double sculls crew of Kevin Cardno (Huntsville, Ala./ University of Alabama, Huntsville) and Jonathan Kirkegaard (DeForest, Wis./Purdue University) will race at the qualification regatta before the world cup. Cardno and Kirkegaard are one of 19 boats entered in the event.

In the lightweight men's single sculls, Jimmy McCullough (Philadelphia, Pa./University of Delaware) is one of 16 entries scheduled to race in Lucerne. McCullough represented the U.S. in the lightweight men's double sculls at the 2019 Pan American Games. He finished second in the lightweight double at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Rowing.

Racing at World Rowing Cup II gets underway on Friday, May 21, with heats, some repechages and quarterfinals. Saturday, May 22, will feature the remaining repechages, semifinals and finals in the non-Olympic boat classes. Finals in the Olympic-class events will be held on Sunday, May 23. The finals will be live-streamed on www.worldrowing.com.