SIx Crews Advance on Saturday at 2023 World Rowing Coastal Championships

Six U.S. crews advanced to A finals, highlighting Saturday's racing at the 2023 World Rowing Coastal Championships in Barletta, Italy.

In the men's solo, Next Level Rowing's Christopher Bak took a clear lead, which he maintained throughout to take home first. Bak crossed the finish line in a 19:16.77, followed by Gregor Hall of Great Britain's University of St. Andrews Rowing Club in a 19:55.86 and Afonso Sousa of Portugal's Associacao Naval de Lisboa in a 20:03.74. Bak will now race in Sunday afternoon's A final.

In the men's quadruple sculls with coxswain, USA 2 took third, while USA 1 took eighth. The Next Level Rowing crew of Benjamin Booth, Thaddeus Babiec, Michael Herman, Justin Stevens, and Bennett Rossell reached the finish line in a 16:58.75, just five seconds behind Monaco's Societe Nautique de Monaco. USA 1, featuring a lineup of John Huppi, Michael Mckay, Philip Hoyle, Alexander Delsordo, and Whitney Powell, finished in a 17:43.13, taking eighth. With nine boats to advance, both crews will now race in Sunday afternoon's A final.

Racing in the first of two heats, Next Level Rowing's Jeni Sorli and Jillian Zieff took fifth in the women's double sculls, crossing the finish line in a 19:58.75. In the second heat, Next Level Rowing's Kelli Anne Van Der Moer and Olivia Farrar finished sixth with a time of 19:52.35, while Coral Kasden and Ilianna Romanzo finished 13th in a 22:24.97. With nine to advance, Sorli and Zieff, and Van Der Moer and Farrar, will now race for medals on Sunday. Kasden and Romanzo will race the B final.

Racing in the last of three heats, Next Level Rowing's Kory Rogers and Christine Cavallo took fourth in the mixed double sculls and will now race in Sunday's A final. Rogers and Cavallo reached the finish line in an 18:44.55, 10 seconds behind Italy's Elena Armeli and Riccardo Peretti. USA 3 (Connor Sawyers and Alyssa Trebilcock) and USA 2 (Brooke Downes and Mason Nothaft) took ninth and 13th in their respective heats, landing both a spot in the B final.

Click here for today's complete results.

A finals and the remaining B finals will take place Sunday. The final day of racing gets underway at 8 a.m. local time.

In total, more than 450 athletes from 32 nations are scheduled to compete in Barletta. Visit www.worldrowing.com for schedules, start lists, results, and live event updates. Racing will be livestreamed starting Saturday, October 7.