Seven U.S. Crews to Race Heats on Sunday at 2022 World Rowing Championships

The U.S. will have seven boats racing in heats on Sunday, the opening day of the 2022 World Rowing Championships in Racice, Czech Republic.

Racing gets underway in the men's and women's single sculls, men's and women's lightweight single sculls, lightweight men's double sculls, men's pair, and men's double sculls.

Ben Davison (Inverness, Fla./University of Washington/California Rowing Club) will get things started for the U.S. in the men's single sculls. Davison, who raced in the men's eight at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, is no stranger to the single having raced it internationally at both the under 23 and junior levels. In June, the American won a bronze medal at the second world cup race in Poznan, Poland. Davison will race scullers from Denmark, Hungary, Lithuania, and Switzerland in the sixth and final heat on Sunday.

In the women's single sculls, nine-time national team member Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley/Texas Rowing Center High Performance) returns to the event. Kohler won a bronze medal in the single at the 2019 World Rowing Championships before finishing ninth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Earlier this summer, she won the Princess Royal Challenge Cup for single sculls at the 2022 Henley Royal Regatta after winning a bronze medal in the double sculls at the World Rowing Cup race in Poznan. Kohler will race against scullers from The Netherlands, Slovenia, Canada, Serbia, and Japan in the second of four heats on Sunday. The Netherlands' Karolien Florijn has yet to lose a race this year.

In the lightweight women's single sculls, Mary Jones Nabel (Huntsville, Ala./University of Tennessee/Cambridge Boat Club) won the gold medal at the first two World Rowing Cup regattas of the year and is gunning for the top of the medal stand in Racice. The six-time national team member is part of a 24-boat field. She will race against scullers from Great Britain, Algeria, Spain, Sri Lanka, and Italy in the fourth and final heat.

In the lightweight men's single sculls, Jimmy McCullough (Philadelphia, Pa./University of Delaware/Texas Rowing Center High Performance) will be racing at his first world championships, having previously represented the U.S. at the 2019 Pan American Games. McCullough raced in the B final of the event at the World Rowing Cup in Poznan, finishing 10th overall. McCullough will take on scullers from Tunisia, Ireland, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Poland in the first of five heats.

Coming off a fifth-place finish at World Rowing Cup II in Poznan, Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia/Texas Rowing Center High Performance) and Jasper Liu (Phoenix, Ariz./University of Pennsylvania/Texas Rowing Center High Performance) are part of a 29-boat field in the lightweight men's double sculls. The duo will take on crews from Italy, Denmark, Portugal, Algeria, and Turkey in the first of five heats. Italy's Pietro Ruta and Stefano Oppo finished third at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pa./Drexel University/California Rowing Club) and Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pa./Cornell University/California Rowing Club), who were both part of last year's Olympic team, won a bronze medal in the men's pair at World Rowing Cup II in Poznan behind New Zealand and The Netherlands. The duo will be racing in the first of four heats tomorrow against Romania, Switzerland, Austria, and Croatia. Romania's Marius Cozmiuc and Sergiu Bejan won the European championship last month. Cozmuic was part of the Romanian pair that won silver in Tokyo.

In the men's double sculls, Sorin Koszyk (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Cornell University/California Rowing Club) and Thomas Phifer (New York, N.Y./Middlebury College/Penn Athletic Club) both will be making their world championships' debuts in Racice. The duo is one of 25 crews entered in the event. Koszyk and Phifer will take on the Czech Republic, China, Croatia, and Romania in the fourth of five heats on Sunday. Croatia's Martin and Valent Sinkovic are unbeaten since their return to the double and are looking to add another world title to their collection.

Heats will continue through Tuesday, with quarterfinals taking place on Wednesday. Semifinals get underway on Thursday, while the medal races will take place starting on Friday. More than 900 athletes from 65 countries are scheduled to compete in the eight-day regatta. The U.S. has entered the most boats with 25, followed by Italy with 23.

Click here for USRowing's daily coverage of the 2022 World Rowing Championships. Click here for USRowing's photo galleries. Click here for the official schedule, heat sheets, and results on worldrowing.com.

USRowing would like to thank Filippi Lido, the Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Senior, Under 23, 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 Under 23 Championships, World Rowing Championships, Olympic Games, and Paralympic Games, as well as a domestic training fleet for the USRowing Training Center.