Gold, Silver, and Bronze for the U.S. at World Cup Lucerne

• Second Gold for the U.S. women’s four at a 2025 World Cup
• U.S. men’s quadruple sculls medals for the first time at a World Cup since 2008.
• Women’s eight wins silver in a tight fight with reigning Olympic champions Romania

The U.S. National Team made a powerful statement on the final day of World Cup Lucerne, earning three medals, including a historic bronze in the men’s quadruple sculls, the first World Cup medal in that event since 2008. Seven American crews reached the A Finals, the second-most of any country behind Great Britain, highlighting strong momentum across both sweep and sculling events.

The women’s four once again claimed the top spot on the podium, taking gold in a thrilling battle with Australia. After trailing early, the American crew of Etta Carpender, Olympian Azja Czajkowski, Camille VanderMeer, and Alexandria Vallancey-Martinson surged through the third 500 meters and closed strong, crossing the line in 6:21.16, 2.82 seconds ahead of Australia. With three of the four rowers being new additions to the senior national team, the result is a promising glimpse into the next generation of U.S. rowing talent. The second American crew of Olympians Charlotte Buck, Jess Thoennes, with Holly Drapp and Kaitlyn Kynast finished fifth. 

The men’s quadruple sculls delivered a landmark performance for U.S. men’s sculling. The crew of Olympian Chris Carlson, Cedar Cunningham, Olympian Jacob Plihal, and Andrew Leroux held third position for much of the race and fended off a late sprint from Germany to secure the bronze medal in 5:43.49, behind Great Britain and Poland. The result adds to the growing momentum in U.S. men’s sculling following Plihal’s breakout performance in the single at World Cup Varese.

In the women’s eight, the U.S. went head-to-head with reigning Olympic champions Romania. After a strong first 1,000 meters, the U.S. closed the margin to 1.5 seconds in the third 500 and held their position through the sprint to take silver in 6:04.73, just behind Romania’s winning time of 6:02.92. The American lineup featured multiple Olympians, including Nina Castagna, Kate Knifton, Teal Cohen, and Azja Czajkowski, and several athletes who raced earlier in the day in other A Finals, demonstrating depth and versatility across the roster.

The men’s eight placed fifth in a tightly packed field. With overlap through the first 500 meters, Germany broke free to take gold while the U.S. battled closely with China. The crew of Jacob Hudgins, Olympian Chris Carlson, Andrew Leroux, Olympian Jacob Plihal, Josh Diggons, Cedar Cunningham, Olympian Christian Tabash, Gus Rodriguez, and coxswain Caroline Ricksen finished in 5:34.43.

The men’s four of Jacob Hudgins, Gus Rodriguez, Josh Diggons and Olympian Christian Tabash raced hard in a competitive final, ultimately finishing sixth in 5:58.22, after staying close with Lithuania and Croatia for most of the race. Australia won gold in 5:47.03.

In the women’s double sculls, Olympian Grace Joyce and Katheryn Flynn held third through the middle of the race but were overtaken by a late charge from France, finishing fifth in 6:50.06. China took gold in 6:45.02.

The women’s pair of Olympians Kate Knifton and Teal Cohen finished fifth in a close race, narrowly edged by Croatia for fourth by just .12 seconds. Romania secured another gold in this event.

What's next? The national team will have the Olympic Events Selection Camp for the 2025 World Championships in July, with the World Rowing Championships Trials set for August 1-3 in Mercer, New Jersey. The 2025 World Rowing Championships are September 21-28 in Shanghai. 

For the full results, click here. 

USRowing would like to thank Filippi Lido, the Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Senior and Para 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 Center.