Racing Underway at 2024 World Rowing Cup II

The U.S. saw six boats win their opening races and had 18 boats in action on Friday during the first day of competition at World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland.
 
Racing in the first heat of the men's four, Liam Corrigan (Old Lyme, Conn./Harvard University/California Rowing Club), Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pa./Cornell University/California Rowing Club), Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pa./Drexel University/California Rowing Club), and Nick Mead (Strafford, Pa./Princeton University/New York Athletic Club),who brought home a silver medal in the event from the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, posted the fastest time of the day, defeating New Zealand by just under two seconds to advance to Sunday's final. With two to advance, the U.S. got off the line first and continued to stay just ahead of New Zealand the entire way down the course. The U.S. clocked a 5:51.20, with New Zealand finishing in a 5:53.16. Australia narrowly defeated Great Britain in the second heat, winning by just 0.03 seconds in a 5:54.34.
 
"We were excited to get lined up today, fully knowing we won't have many races under our belt this season before we get to Paris," Best said. "During training, we had identified our strong points from last season and where we felt we could gain some speed. Our goal in the heat was to have a relatively flat pace from 250 meters to 1,500 meters or so. We found a solid rhythm and felt we were getting the most send off the strokes through the body of the piece. Our focus for Sunday is to ingrain our approach from today. We are trying to be an 'any day of the week' crew in terms of consistency. It's going to be a great final, and aside from a few other nations, a likely Olympic final rehearsal."
 
Racing in the second heat of the women's double sculls, Kristi Wagner (Weston, Mass./Yale University/ARION) and Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wis./University of Wisconsin/USRowing Training Center – Sarasota), the reigning world championships' bronze medalists, took home the victory to advance to the semifinals. With three to advance, Vitas and Wagner sat a half-second behind South Africa's Katherine Williams and Paige Badenhorst 500 meters in before moving into the top spot during the second quarter of the race. Vitas and Wagner continued to extend their lead on South Africa over the third 500 meters before coming home just under two seconds ahead of Williams and Badenhorst. The U.S. crew clocked a 6:58.69, with South Africa finishing in a 7:00.55. Italy's Stefania Gobbi and Clara Guerra took third. Ireland's Alison Bergin and Zoe Hyde clocked the fastest time of the heats, winning the third race by a little less than one second over Australia in a 6:54.62. New Zealand's Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis won the first heat in a 6:58.71.
 
"Today, we had a good row for our first race together of the year and in new seats for both of us." Wagner said. "We are happy to have gotten the first one done and are looking forward to more racing. We want to keep taking steps forward and improving, while also having fun."
 
In the lightweight women's double sculls, Molly Reckford (Short Hills, N.J./Dartmouth College/New York Athletic Club) and Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif./University of Tulsa/ USRowing Training Center – Princeton), who finished fifth in the event at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and won a silver medal at the 2022 World Rowing Championships, won the second heat to advance directly to Sunday's final. With two to advance, Reckford and Sechser took a slight lead on Canada's Jennifer Casson and Jill Moffatt as the boats hit the 500-meter mark and then methodically pulled away from the Canadians the rest of the way down the course. The U.S. finished with a time of 7:05.31, with Canada crossing in a 7:09.24. Great Britain's Imogen Grant and Emily Craig, the defending world champions, won the first heat in a 6:57.84, with New Zealand's Jackie Kiddle and Shannon Cox taking second in a 7:02.41.
 
In the lightweight women's single sculls, the U.S. had two scullers racing in the second of two heats. With only one to advance to directly to the final, Sophia Luwis (McLean, Va./The College of William & Mary/Whitemarsh Boat Club), who brought home the bronze medal in the event from last year's world championships, pulled away from the field in the second 500 meters and cruised to an easy victory over her teammate Audrey Boersen (West Olive, Mich./Grand Valley State University/Whitemarsh Boat Club). Luwis took a slight lead over France's Aurelie Morizot as the boats hit the 500-meter mark before putting on a huge move in the second 500 meters to take a 3.54-second lead over Morizot at the halfway point of the race. Boersen, who had moved into third position heading into the back half of the race, overtook Morizot in the third 500 meters but could never challenge Luwis at the head of the field. Luwis crossed the line in a 7:43.81 to advance to tomorrow's final. Boersen finished second in a 7:50.62 and headed to the afternoon repechage. In the second repechage, Boersen led from start to finish, advancing to the final in a 7:56.83. Morizot finished second behind Boersen in a 7:59.84. Luwis and Boersen will be joined by Morizot and scullers form Great Britain, Mexico, and Ireland in the final.
 
"Today's race was a much-needed pressure release," Luwis said. "Since losing out on a spot in the Olympic lightweight double, it's been a full-time job trying to gain confidence back in myself and my abilities. Today's race was a nice reminder that I actually do know how to row. Crazy! I didn't feel anything for the first 1,100 meters, just speed, and then I felt everything. My focus (for tomorrow) is just to remember we are all a bunch of adults playing with long, expensive sticks in the water and to have a good time and make it hurt."
 
The U.S. women's eight of Nina Castagna (Cincinnati, Ohio/University of Washington/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Molly Bruggeman (Dayton, Ohio/University of Notre Dame/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Margaret Hedeman (Concord, Mass./Yale University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Olivia Coffey (Watkins Glen, N.Y./Harvard University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Claire Collins (McLean, Va./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y./Ithaca College/California Rowing Club), Regina Salmons (Methuen, Mass./University of Pennsylvania/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wis./University of Wisconsin/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), and Charlotte Buck (Nyack, N.Y./Columbia University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) won its preliminary race for lanes, clocking a 6:06.17 to finish 1.43 seconds ahead of Australia. The Australians led through the halfway point before the U.S. moved into the top spot in the third 500 meters. Canada finished third.
 
The U.S. men's eight of Clark Dean (Sarasota, Fla./Harvard University/Boston Rowing Federation), Chris Carlson (Bedford, N.H./University of Washington/New York Athletic Club), Peter Chatain (Winnetka, Ill./Stanford University/California Rowing Club), Henry Hollingsworth (Dover, Mass./Brown University/California Rowing Club), Rielly Milne (Woodinville, Wash./University of Washington/California Rowing Club), Nick Rusher (West Bend, Wis./Yale University/California Rowing Club), Evan Olson (Bothell, Wash./University of Washington/Seattle Scullers/Penn AC), Pieter Quinton (Portland, Ore./Harvard University/California Rowing Club), and Christian Tabash (Alexandria, Va./Harvard University/University of California, Berkeley/USRowing Training Center – Sarasota) also won its preliminary race for lanes, defeating Great Britain by 1.73 seconds in a 5:27.95. The U.S. boat took the lead in the first 500 meters and never relinquished it over the 2,000-meter course. The Netherlands finished third.
 
Racing in the first of two heats of the lightweight men's single sculls, Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) finished second behind France's Baptiste Savaete to advance directly to tomorrow's final. With two to advance, Heese got off the line in fifth position before moving up to third behind Savaete and Italy's Patrick Rocek at the halfway point of the race. Heese walked away from Rocek in the third 500 meters, pulling within a half-second of Savaete as the scullers entered the last quarter of the race, but the Frenchman was able to hold off Heese in the final sprint. Savaete won in a 7:10.50, with Heese crossing the line in a 7:11.79.
 
In the women's pair, Jessica Thoennes (Highlands Ranch, Colo./University of Washington/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) and Azja Czajkowski (Imperial Beach, Calif./Stanford University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), who earned their spots at the 2024 Olympic Games by winning the Olympic trials, finished second in the second of two heats to move on to tomorrow's semifinals. With three to advance, USA1 got off the line in third position before moving into second place by the 1,000-meter mark. Thoennes and Czajkowski continued to row about two seconds behind the Irish duo of Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh the rest of the way down the course. Ireland won the race in a 7:11.03, with USA1 clocking a 7:13.20. Chile's Antonia and Melita Abraham finished third to also advance to the semifinals. In the third heat, the USA2 duo of Emily Froehlich (Fishers, Ind./University of Texas/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Alie Rusher (West Bend, Wis./Stanford University/California Rowing Club) finished fourth and had to race in the afternoon repechage. Australia's Annabelle Mcintyre and Jessica Morrison won the third heat in a 7:13.66, with the U.S. finishing in a 7:30.29. Defending world champions Veronique Meester and Ymkje Clevering from The Netherlands clocked the fastest time of the heats, winning the first race in a 7:07.61.
 
In the repechage, Froehlich and Rusher took second to move on to the semifinals. The duo sat in second for most of the race behind Australia's Lily Alton Triggs and Olympia Aldersey. However, the Dutch boat came from third in the final 500 meters to win the race in a 7:36.17. The U.S. finished second in a 7:36.54, with the Australian duo dropping to third but still moving on to the semifinals. Both U.S. boats will race in the first semifinal tomorrow against two Australian crews, the top Dutch boat, and Great Britain.
 
In the heats of the men's single sculls, Michael Knippen (Germantown, Wis./University of Wisconsin/USRowing Training Center – Sarasota) advanced to the quarterfinals, while Ezra Carlson (Eureka, Calif./University of Washington/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) was eliminated. Racing in the sixth and final heat, Knippen finished second in his opening race behind Lithuania's Giedrius Bieliauskas. Bieliauskas led the race from start to finish, with Knippen battling Germany's Paul Berghoff for second and third during the middle 1,000 meters. Bieliauskas clocked a 7:05.67 to win the race, with Knippen finishing in a 7:07.77. Carlson finished fourth in the third heat, failing to advance to the quarterfinals. With only the top three guaranteed spots in the quarterfinals, Carlson dropped to fourth off the line, and while he stayed close to the third-place position, he was unable to chase down Brazil's Lucas Verthein Ferreira for the third guaranteed qualification spot. The Netherlands' Simon van Dorp won the race in a 7:00.9. Carlson clocked a 7:15.70.
 
Racing in the second quarterfinal, Knippen finished fourth and will move on to the C final for overall places 13-18. With three to advance to the semifinals, Knippen got off the line in second place and still held a qualification spot at the midway point. However, Bulgaria's Kristian Vasilev was able to move past Knippen in the third 500 meters to take the final qualification spot. Van Dorp won the race in a 7:02.26. Knippen finished in a 7:11.26.
 
The U.S. women's four of Kaitlin Knifton (Austin, Texas/University of Texas/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Mary Mazzio-Manson (Wellesley, Mass./Yale University/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Conn./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), and Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, R.I./Princeton University/Cambridge Boat Club) finished second in its heat and will race in tomorrow's repechage for a second chance to advance to the final. Great Britain, who recently won the 2024 European Rowing Championships, took the early lead and maintained the top position the entire way down the course. The U.S. sat is second at each of the 500-meter splits, crossing the line 2.5 seconds behind the British crew. Great Britain won the race in a 6:27.53, with the U.S. clocking a 6:30.03. The Netherlands won the second heat with a time of 6:33.40. The U.S. will take on Chile, China, New Zealand, and Australia in tomorrow's repechage.
 
Racing in the second of two heats of the PR1 men's single sculls, Andrew Mangan (Buffalo, N.Y./Stanford University/Texas Rowing Center/West Side Rowing Club) finished third and will race in tomorrow's repechage. Mangan sat in fourth position entering the final 500 meters before overtaking Japan's Takuya Mori in the sprint. With two to advance, Italy's Giacomo Perini and Israel's Shmuel Daniel took command of the qualifying positions early in the race. Perini clocked a 9:31.17 to win the heat, with Daniel taking second in a 9:37.84. Mangan finished with a time of 10:02.54. Mangan will take on scullers from The Netherlands, Japan, Uzbekistan, Spain, and Tunisia in tomorrow's repechage.
 
With three to advance from each heat of the men's pair, the USA1 crew of Oliver Bub (Westport, Conn./Dartmouth College/California Rowing Club) and William Bender (Norwich, Vt./Dartmouth College/California Rowing Club) took third in the third heat to move on to the semifinals. Bub and Bender got off the line in fifth position before moving into a qualifying position in the second 500 meters. South Africa's Christopher Baxter and John Smith got out to the early lead before Spain's Javier Garcia Ordonez and Jaime Canalejo Pazos moved into first just before the halfway point. Spain made a push in the third 500 meters to try to get away from South Africa. While Baxter and Smith tried to respond, the Spanish pair was able to earn the victory by a little over a second. Spain finished with a time of 6:28.75, with South Africa clocking a 6:30.00. USA1 closed the gap in the final 500 meters, finishing with a time of 6:30.99. In the first heat, the USA2 crew of Gus Rodriguez (Rye, N.Y./Brown University/California Rowing Club) and Alexander Hedge (Morristown, N.J./Columbia University/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) finished fifth and were forced into the afternoon repechage. Rodriguez and Hedge dropped to fifth in the second 500 meters and were never able to challenge for a top-three spot and a place in the semifinals. World silver medalists Tom George and Oliver Wynne-Griffith from Great Britain won the race in a 6:29.48, finishing about two seconds ahead of the Irish boat.
 
In the afternoon repechage, Hedge and Rodriguez finished third to advance to the semifinals. The duo led through the 1,000-meter mark before dropping to third over the back half of the race. Italy's Marco and Luca Vicino chased down the leading crews to win the race in a 6:51.15, with New Zealand's Daniel Williamson and Phillip Wilson taking second, just 0.16 seconds behind the Italians. The U.S. clocked a 6:54.19. Hedge and Rodriguez will take on crews from Italy, South Africa, Switzerland, Great Britain, and New Zealand in tomorrow's first semifinal, while Bub and Bender will race boats from New Zealand, Great Britain, Spain, Ireland, and Australia in the second semifinal.
 
In the women's single sculls, Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley/USRowing Training Center - Princeton), who earned a spot on her third Olympic team by winning the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Rowing in early April, and Alina Hagstrom (Seattle, Wash./Oregon State University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) raced in the same heat and both were relegated to the afternoon repechages. With two to advance to the semifinals, Kohler got off the line in third position and continued to race in the third spot as the boats crossed the midway point. However, she was not able to make a move into a qualification spot and dropped back to fourth over the back half of the race. Hagstrom raced in fifth the entire way down the course. Australia's Tara Rigney won the race in a 7:33.77, with Uzbekistan's Anna Prakaten taking second in a 7:35.92. Kohler finished with a time of 7:49.12, with Hagstrom clocking a 7:56.82.
 
In the afternoon repechages, Kohler finished second in the second of two races, advancing to the semifinals, while Hagstrom finished fourth in the first race and will now row in the C final for places 13-18. Kohler sat in fourth position off the line before moving into second at the halfway point. Kohler continued to chase down Switzerland's Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen over the back half of the race, coming up just short at the line. Janzen won the race in a 7:46.29, with Kohler taking second in a 7:46.46. Czech Republic's Alice Prokesova took third to also advance to the semifinals. In the first repechage, Hagstrom sat in fourth position the entire way down the course. Neutral individual athlete Tatsiana Klimovich won the race in a 7:44.97. Hagstrom clocked a 7:49.96.
 
Racing continues on Saturday with the remaining repechages, semifinals, and finals in the non-Olympic and non-Paralympic boat classes. Finals in the Olympic and Paralympic boat classes will take place on Sunday. Racing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. local time tomorrow, with Sunday's racing starting at 8:45 a.m. local time. Click here for the most up-to-date schedule and results.

The live race tracker and live audio will be available for all races on www.worldrowing.com. Live video streaming will be available on the World Rowing website on Sunday starting at 10:00 a.m. local time for the A finals of all World Rowing Cup boat classes.

Rowing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place July 27-August 4. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are scheduled from August 28 to September 8, with Para rowing events beginning August 30. 

The full Olympic team will be nominated by June 7, and the complete Paralympic team will be nominated by July 1. For information, updates, and athlete features, visit our Row to Paris page.

Click here for the current rosters of the 2024 Olympic Team and 2024 Paralympic Team.

USRowing would like to thank our national team sponsors including our Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Senior, Under 23, and Para Rowing National Teams, Filippi Lido; our Official Apparel Provider, 776BC; our Official Partner, Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc., our Exclusive Supplement Supplier, Thorne HealthTech; our Official Performance Electronics Outfitter, Nielsen-Kellerman; the National Rowing Foundation; and TrainingPeaks, the Official Training and Coaching Software of USRowing's High Performance Team.