Men’s Eight Wins Silver at U19 World Championships

The U.S. closed out the U19 World Championships with a strong final day of racing, highlighted by a silver medal from the men’s eight and a bronze medal in the mixed eight. The regatta provided a valuable opportunity for a young group of American athletes to test themselves internationally, learn from each race, and continue building toward the future.

“We’re incredibly proud of how this group competed and represented the United States in Plovdiv,” said Brett Gorman, Head Coach of High Performance Pathways. “Medals are always something to celebrate, but the larger purpose of our Pathways program is the long-term development of athletes and preparing them for future opportunities at the U23 and Senior National Team levels. Our coaches deserve a tremendous amount of credit for bringing athletes from programs across the country together in a short period of time and turning them into a team. Every athlete leaves this championship with a better understanding of international racing and what it takes to compete at this level, and we hope they carry those lessons forward as they continue to develop.”

Men’s Eight A Final

The U.S. men’s eight settled into fourth place through the opening 500 meters as Great Britain took an early lead. The Americans surged past Romania before the halfway mark, moving into third and closing the gap on Germany.

In the third 500 meters, the U.S. made another decisive move, pulling even with Germany for second place. The crew of Jacob Bobrow, Cole Martin, Ethan Pirigyi, Charles Winder, Parker Mansfield, Beckett Kallman, Peter Ward, Meredith Caldwell, and Malcolm Stanton saved their best for the sprint, taking additional seats off the Germans in the final 500 meters to secure the silver medal.

The Americans crossed the line in 5:36.46 to capture silver, finishing 0.76 seconds ahead of Germany. Great Britain took the gold medal in 5:33.84.

Mixed Eight Final

The mixed eight of Jacob Bobrow, Sophia Rostad, Lynn Gulli, Noah Arismendez, Elliot Davis, John Piersma, Vrishank Nalla, Tessa Murphy, and Olivia Lill captured bronze in the first-ever appearance of the event at the U19 World Championships. Germany got off to a quick start, with Romania and the U.S. following closely behind.

The Americans remained within a few seats of Romania through the middle of the race but were unable to move their bow ball ahead of the Romanian crew. The U.S. crossed the line in 6:02.64 to secure the bronze medal, with Germany taking gold and Romania finishing second.

Women’s Eight A Final 

The U.S. women’s eight finished fifth overall after settling into fifth place off the start as Romania and Germany established the early lead. The Americans maintained their position through the race but were unable to close the gap on Italy in fourth.

The U.S. crossed the finish line in 6:39.18. Romania took the gold.

Men’s Single Sculls B Final

Porter Collins took an early lead in the B Final of the men’s single sculls, with several scullers closely behind. In the third 500 meters, Estonia and Hungary made decisive moves to move past Collins.

Collins battled with Italy through the final stretch, crossing the line in 7:07.70 to finish fourth in the B Final and 10th overall in the event.

Mixed Double Sculls B Final

Dean Burton and Shay Triepel found their rhythm early in the mixed double sculls B Final, putting their bow in front during the opening strokes. The Americans continued to build their speed throughout the race, pushing their lead to open water on the field by the halfway mark.

Burton and Triepel maintained their lead through the finish, crossing first in 6:56.21. Paraguay finished second in 7:08.27. The victory placed the Americans seventh overall in the event at the regatta.

The U.S. Senior National Team competes at the 2026 World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands from August 24-30. Members of the Beach Sprint National Team are being selected at Trials this weekend in New Bedford, with the winners of Trials to compete at the 2026 Beach Sprint Finals in Qingdao, China from October 18-21. 

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.