Gold in the Men’s Four, Silver in the Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls

• Gold for Men’s Four, first for U.S. at the U23 World Rowing Championships.
• Dartmouth College's Cosmo Hondrogen wins silver in the men’s lightweight single sculls.
• Women’s Four finished fifth overall.

The men’s four made history at the U23 World Rowing Championships, winning gold in the event for the first time for the U.S. Cosmo Hondrogen took silver in the men’s lightweight single sculls, the first medal in the event since 2019. The women’s four finished fifth in a tight race won by Great Britain. 

The men’s four dominated the A Final, showing confidence in their crew from start to finish. The U.S. took the lead early with Great Britain inches away through the first half of the race, but the Americans could not be shaken. Their third 500 meters was rowed with power and confidence, each stroke pushing their bow further and further into the lead. Ryan Martin, Wilson Morton, Sam Sullivan, and Lyle Donovan prowess in the water and trust in each other was evident. The U.S. countered a great sprint from Spain as they crossed the finish line in a time of 5:49.96. 

“It was a really good race. We talked about just being our own crew and going out there and staying internal, and that’s what we did,” said University of Pennsylvania’s Sam Sullivan. “I think we just did a good job of being ourselves and sticking to what we know. No better group to do it with.”

“We executed our race plan, we knew if we did exactly what we wanted that would probably be enough in the end," said University of Washington’s Lyle Donovan. "That middle thousand is where we decided that we need to dig in and keep our foot on the gas. Keep going and really drag that margin out."

“I had so much trust in these guys to execute their race,” said Coach Sergio Espinoza. “They did everything we asked of them, and it paid off. I’m just so proud of them and all of our coaches. Huge thank you to Josy Verdonkschot, Casey Galvanek, Jesse Foglia, and Brett Gorman for all their work and support; it has made a major impact.”

Cosmo Hongdrogen from Dartmouth College threw it all out there in the men’s lightweight single sculls. Hondrogen was quick off the line, settling into third place closely behind Italy and Argentina. It was in the middle of the race that Hondrogen took control, moving into first and testing the grit of the other racers in the event. He led going into the last 500 meters, but a late charge from Turkey’s Halil Kaan Koroglu kept him from the top step. Hondrogen finished second in a time of 6:58.72, the highest finish in the men’s eight since 2019. Hondrogen finished his Freshman year at Dartmouth College, an impressive achievement by such a young athlete on the world stage. 

“The race was great,” said Cosmo Hondrogen. “My coach just wanted me to go out there, be in the pack in the first 500 then dominate the middle 1k. I think that’s exactly what I did…I’m honestly just really happy I was able to execute exactly how me and my coaches talked about so hats off to my coaches Trevor Michelson and Noah Axford, just absolutely amazing, the best in the game. Thank you.”

The U.S. women’s four delivered a gutsy and determined performance on the world stage, ultimately finishing fifth in an exceptionally tight and fiercely contested final. From the very first strokes, Great Britain surged into an early lead, setting a blistering pace that forced the rest of the field into an all-out battle for every inch of water. Behind them, the remaining crews were locked side by side, separated by mere inches as the race unfolded.

Undeterred, the Americans, Phoebe Wise, Ellie Smith, Allie Alton, and Quincy Stone, rowed with heart and precision, keeping themselves in striking distance. As the race entered the critical third 500 meters, the U.S. crew mounted an aggressive push, throwing everything they had at the New Zealand boat in an effort to break into the top three. Despite their relentless drive and seamless teamwork, the Kiwis held firm, refusing to give up ground.

The U.S. boat unleashed a powerful sprint, emptying the tank in a final bid to close the gap. They crossed the line in 6:35.63, just behind Spain, securing fifth place.

"I’m proud of these four rowers for executing their best race wire to wire," said Coach Sarah Trowbridge. "They raced with tenacity and displayed the same grit that earned them those seats in such a principal event through selection."

In the men’s quadruple sculls, the U.S. had an incredible battle with the Swiss crew, but were unable to clinch the last spot for the A Final. The U.S. was in the mix in the first 500 meters, pushing their bow into fourth in the second 500 meters. It was in the middle of the piece that they tried multiple moves to get their bow ahead of the Swiss crew without success. The U.S. finished fourth and will compete in the B Final tomorrow.

The men’s eight fought their way down the course against the Germans. The U.S. improved on their start, crossing the first 500-meter mark with only a few inches separating them from the Germans. They remained neck and neck through the halfway point until the Germans' third 500-meter move proved to be decisive. The U.S. finished second in a time of 5:32.41.

"Going into the race, we wanted to improve our start, and we did a much better job," said Princeton University's Kian Aminian. "We didn't get into our base pace as well as we should have, which is typically our strength. We are excited to execute them both well tomorrow and have a great race."

“This group has done an exceptional job and always had fun working hard,” said Sergio Espinoza. “We can’t wait to see the quad and the eight throw down tomorrow and show all the great work they have done this summer.”

Tomorrow’s races begin with the men’s quadruple sculls B Final at 10:23 p.m. CSET. The women’s eight at 12:12 p.m CSET, followed by the men’s eight at 12:43 p.m. CSET. 

All races are streaming here. A detailed racing schedule can be found here(all times are in Central European Summer Time).

USRowing would like to thank and acknowledge key partners HUDSON, the Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Under 19 and Under 23 National Team. Through the partnership, HUDSON supplies racing shells for selection and training domestically, with matched shells provided internationally for racing.