U.S. Wins First PR3 Mixed Coxed Four World Title, Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls Takes Bronze

The U.S. made history at the 2026 World Rowing Championships on Thursday, ending Great Britain’s 15-year winning streak in the PR3 mixed coxed four to claim the first U.S. world title in the event. The lightweight men’s double sculls took bronze with a strong sprint, the best U.S. finish in the event since 1990. The women’s four, men’s four, and women’s quadruple sculls all won their semifinals with the fastest times of the day, while the men’s quadruple sculls secured a place in Saturday’s A Final with a third-place finish. The PR2 mixed double sculls concluded their championship with the crew’s best finish since 2018, while the lightweight men’s and women’s single sculls both finished fifth overall.

PR3 Mixed Coxed Four 

The U.S. settled into fifth in the opening 500 meters as Great Britain took the early lead. The American crew moved into podium contention before the halfway mark. The third 500 meters showed the U.S.’s power as they moved into second place and began to chip away at Great Britain’s lead. Confident in their rhythm, the Americans continued to take inch after inch off the leading crew. The gold medal came down to the final 250 meters, with the U.S. carrying the momentum. The Americans crossed the line 1.27 seconds ahead of Great Britain to win gold in the event for the first time. The crew was comprised of Paralympic silver medalists Skylar Dahl (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Alex Flynn (Wilmington, Mass.), three-time national team member Max Allemeier (Marietta, Ga.), Gabriella Bigler (San Diego, Calif.), and coxswain Hannah Diaz (Seattle, Wash.). 

“We trusted our plan, stayed internal, and that helped us take control of the race in the second half,”  said Gabriella Bigler.

Ellen Minzner, Paralympic Head Coach said  “Incredibly proud of this crew and coach Tom Siddall. They had the weight of history on their shoulders and they stayed locked in and let nothing rattle them.”

The victory ended a 15-year British winning streak at the World Championships and Olympics and set a World Rowing Championships best time of 6:46.60.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls A Final

Jamie Copus (Winnetka, Ill.) and Sean Richardson (Beverly, Mass.) won bronze in the lightweight men’s double sculls final. Uzbekistan took the early lead, with the rest of the field within a few seats of each other. The Americans traded places with India through the first half of the course before making their move in the third 500 meters, moving from sixth into fourth place. India held a length advantage, but the Americans put on a dynamic sprint, closing the gap in the final 250 meters to snatch the final spot on the podium in 6:27.45.

Women’s Four Semifinal

Olympians Molly Bruggeman (Dayton, Ohio), Azja Czajkowski (Imperial Beach, Calif.), Teal Cohen (Dallas, Texas), and Kate Knifton (Austin, Texas) got to work early, taking the lead in the first 500 meters. They wasted no time in the second 500 meters, pushing away from the field and gaining open water. Romania and Great Britain battled for position behind them, while the U.S. crossed the last 500-meter mark 5.92 seconds ahead of Romania. The Americans crossed the finish line first in a time of  6:34.05, followed by Romania and Great Britain. They will race for the gold medal on Saturday against the winner of the second semifinal Australia.

Men’s Four Semifinal 

In the men’s four semifinal, Romania got their bow out first in the opening 500 meters, with the U.S. following closely behind. By the halfway mark, the Americans had edged ahead of Romania, with Great Britain close behind. Great Britain moved past Romania in the third 500 meters while the U.S. maintained its lead. Great Britain challenged the American crew in the sprint but was unable to close the gap. Gus Rodriguez (Rye, N.Y.), Peter Chatain (Winnetka, Ill.), Chris Carlson (Bedford, N.H.), and Pieter Quinton (Portland, Ore.) - all members of the 2024 Olympic team- advance to Saturday’s A Final with their win in a time of 5:57.48.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls Semifinal

Olympian Kristi Wagner (Weston, Mass.), Olympian Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wis.), Evan Park (Bend, Ore.), and Olympian Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, R.I.) secured an open-water victory in their semifinal. The U.S. settled into sixth in the first 500 meters, but the crew was just getting started. By the second 500 meters, they had moved into second place behind Romania. The Americans showed their speed in the third 500 meters, chipping away at Romania’s lead. They carried that momentum into the final meters, clearing Romania and gaining open water before crossing the line to win in a time of 6:20.41. They race next in the A Final on Saturday.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls Semifinal

The American crew got off the line in third in the first 500 meters, with Great Britain establishing an early lead. The U.S. battled Germany through the middle of the course, edging ahead at the halfway mark by a few inches. The Americans remained composed through the third 500 meters as the three leading crews stayed within a few seats of one another. Great Britain held off a charging Germany to take the win, with the U.S. finishing in third. James Wright (Philadelphia, Pa.), Olympian Jacob Plihal (Vashon Island, Wash.), Cedar Cunningham (Renton, Wash.), and Olympian Ben Davison (Inverness, Fla.) secured a spot in Saturday’s A Final with their top three finish. 

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls A Final

Justin Schmidt (Westport, Conn.) started the race in sixth place as Fabio Kress from Germany took the lead. Schmidt spent the first half of the race a few seats off the field before making his move in the third 500 meters. The American pushed past the Individual Neutral Athlete to move into fifth place. Schmidt held on to finish fifth in 7:04.20.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls A Final

In the lightweight women’s single sculls A Final, Claire Friedlander (Narberth, Pa.) got off the line in sixth place as Kenia Lechuga Alanis of Mexico took the early lead. Friedlander remained in sixth before putting together a strong sprint in the closing strokes of the race, moving past Uruguay to take fifth place in 7:44.96.

PR2 Mixed Double Sculls A Final

Nat Vorel (Oklahoma City, Ok.) and Chance Quarry (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) concluded their championships with a sixth-place finish in the PR2 mixed double sculls A Final. The U.S. settled into fifth place in the first 500 meters before Ukraine moved past them in the second 500 meters. Vorel and Quarry maintained their rhythm through the line to finish in 8:34.53. Both athletes are new to the sport of rowing, they became the first U.S. crew to reach the A Final since 2018.

Racing continues tomorrow with the women’s pair A Final, and the men’s and women’s single sculls quarterfinals.

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.