PR3 Mixed Four with Coxswain Wins Silver at World Cup

The PR3 Mixed Four with coxswain won silver, highlighting a strong start for the U.S. squad. The U.S. Senior and Para National Teams continue to face off against the world’s top crews this weekend in Varese, Italy. 

The PR3 mixed four with coxswain kicked off the finals rounds with a podium finish. The crew of Emelie Eldrachar, Ben Washburne, Max Allemeier, Annabelle Miller, and Sarah Menefee quickly settled into second place as Brazil pushed their bow ball into first in the first 500 meters. Despite a push in the second quarter of the race, the U.S. was unable to overtake the leaders. Brazil secured gold in 7:03.45, with the U.S. finishing close behind in 7:06.85.

In the men’s single sculls, Jacob Plihal continued his standout performance, taking second in the semifinal. After a strong opening from the Netherlands' Simon Van Dorp, Plihal moved into second during the second 500 meters and closed hard in the sprint. He finished just behind Van Dorp with a time of 6:46.84 and will advance to tomorrow’s A Final. 

Maggie Fellows placed fifth in her women’s single sculls semifinal. Great Britain’s Lauren Henry led from the start, while Fellows moved into fourth halfway through. China’s Yan Li surged in the final stretch to edge out Fellows by just 0.11 seconds. Fellows crossed in 7:40.88 and will meet Li again in the B Final.

The test race for the mixed eight proved successful for the U.S., clinching the victory by just .33 seconds over the crew from Germany. The U.S. crew led the race throughout with their largest margin being a few seats in the third 500 meters. The Germans charged hard in the last 500 meters but the U.S. held them off to take the win. 

In the men’s four semifinal, the U.S. crew settled into third behind the crews from the Netherlands and Great Britain. The crew of Jacob Hudgins, Nathan Phelps, Alexander Hedge, and Olympic bronze medalist Christian Tabash pushed away from the rest of the field, taking open water on the fourth-place crew from Italy. The U.S. finished third in a time of 5:54.04 and will be competing in the A Final tomorrow. 

The men’s pair of Gus Rodriguez and Josh Diggons finished second in the C final in 6:27.00. Germany, Great Britain, and the U.S. traded blows down the course. Great Britain was able to pull away to take the win while Rodriguez and Diggons pushed the bow of the Germans away in the last 500 meters to secure second. 

The U.S. had two crews competing in the men’s double sculls. Andrew Leroux and Cedar Cunningham raced in the semifinal, finishing in fifth place after trading blows with fourth-place Great Britain. Italy won the semifinal in 6:08.20 with the U.S. crew crossing the line in 6:16.27. Leroux and Cunningham will race in the B final tomorrow. Michael Herman and Caleb Nollenberger finished third in the C final after working through the field. They crossed the first 500 meter mark in sixth place but pushed past Estonia and Indonesia in the second 500 meters to move into fourth. In the race's second half, they surged past Australia to cross the finish line in third in a time of 6:16.27.

In the women’s pair, Kaitlyn Kynast and Holly Drapp finished sixth in the semifinal. The Netherlands took the win in a time of 6:59.15. The U.S. crew crossed the finish line in 7:11.53.

All races can be tracked live here, and video streaming will be available on Sunday. A detailed racing schedule 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 Center.