PR3 Mixed Four Wins Heat

Day Four of the World Rowing Championships brought strong performances for the U.S., highlighted by a dominant heat win for the PR3 Mixed Four with Coxswain and a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the Men’s Double Sculls C Final.

The PR3 Mixed Four with Coxswain found their rhythm in the second half of the race after an early lead by China and Brazil. Paralympic silver medalist Ben Washburne, Max Allemeier, Annabelle Miller, Eli Margolin, and Paralympic silver medalist Emelie Eldracher surged ahead in the third 500 meters, opening a lead of more than two seconds. The crew maintained control throughout the sprint, crossing the finish line in 7:23.11, 4.59 seconds ahead of China, and posting the second-fastest overall time in the event. They will race in the A Final on Saturday. 

“I think we put together a great race,” said Ben Washburne. “I think we knew that the middle was going to be our moment, and we just stuck to our plan, stuck to our training, and got it done. I think that for our first time racing this lineup together, it was pretty good; still, there are some kinks to iron out, but I think we're all feeling pretty good about Saturday.

Coxswain Emelie Eldracher praised her crew,  “I'm very proud of a boat of young athletes really putting together a mature race, and we really talked about doing what we know how to do, and getting out and trusting ourselves. And I think that was the biggest part of the race plan, trusting ourselves and trusting”

The Men’s Four found heartbreak in Shanghai as they finished fourth in their tightly contested Semifinal. With the top four boats separated by less than a second at the 1,000-meter mark, it was the third 500 meters that proved decisive as the leaders began to pull away. Great Britain won the Semifinal, with the U.S. crossing the line in a time of 5:58.18. Olympic bronze medalist Pieter Quinton, Gus Rodriguez, Alexander Hedge, and Olympic bronze medalist Christian Tabash will compete again today in the men’s eight and in the B Final for the four on Friday. 

Andrew LeRoux and Sam Melvin clawed their way to first place from sixth in the men’s double sculls. The U.S. took time to find their footing in the first 500 meters as Great Britain got out to an early lead. The crew maintained their composure and quickly established a strong rhythm, moving through the field with determination. By the second 500 meters, they had moved into third place and were setting their sights on the top two crews. Their third 500 meters proved critical as they overtook the Greek crew. With momentum on their side, LeRoux and Melvin had an exceptional sprint, crossing the line in a time of 6:26.87, 1.41 seconds ahead of Great Britain. They finished 13th overall. 

Racing continues this evening with the women’s eight heat at 10:05 p.m. ET, followed by the men’s eight heat at 10:23 p.m. Michelle Sechser will look to continue her strong performance in the Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls Semifinal at 10:31 p.m. ET, and Justin Schmidt will compete in the Men’s Lightweight Single Sculls Semifinal at 10:43 p.m. ET. The women's quadruple sculls B Final starts at 1:47 a.m. ET. Holly Drapp and Jess Thoennes will race for the podium in the women's pair at 2:30 a.m., followed by the men's quadruple sculls at 3:12 a.m.

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.