Six U.S. Crews Advance on Sunday at 2023 World Rowing Championships

Six U.S. crews advanced on the opening day of competition at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

The women's single sculls, lightweight men's single sculls, lightweight men's double sculls, men's pair, and men's double sculls all moved on to the quarterfinals, while the lightweight women's single sculls advanced to the semifinals at the Ada Ciganlija regatta course on Sava Lake.

In the women's single sculls, 10-time national team member Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley/Texas Rowing Center) pulled away from the field over the back half of the race to win by open water and advance to the quarterfinals. With three to advance, Switzerland's Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen got out to the early lead before Kohler moved into first place about 850 meters into the race. Kohler continued to increase her advantage during the third quarter, moving out to about two lengths of open water on the Individual Neutral Athlete, Tatsiana Klimovich, with 500 meters to go. Kohler controlled the final 500 meters, crossing the finish with a little more than a length of open water on Klimovich. Kohler finished with a time of 7:24.88, with Klimovich crossing in a 7:28.92. Janzen took third in a 7:39.31.

"Step one, check. Got the job done," said Kohler about advancing to the quarterfinal. "I felt like I got off the line pretty well. I got into my base. I had a nice lead to watch the field, so obviously that was what I was looking for. On to the next one. Each race is going to really heat up, so I'll prepare for closer races where you have to dig deep and remember why you're doing this and why you enjoy it."

Racing at her first world championships, lightweight women's single sculler Sophia Luwis (McLean, Va./The College of William & Mary/Whitemarsh Boat Club) also won her heat, advancing to the semifinals. With the top two heading directly to the semis, Luwis took the early lead over Italy's Ilaria Corazza and Switzerland's Eline Rol. Luwis had built nearly a two-second advantage at the midway point before Rol cut the lead to one second with just 500 meters to go. Luwis was able to maintain her half-length lead over the final 500 meters to earn the victory in a 7:42.04. Rol finished second in a 7:42.93 to also qualify for the semifinals.

"It was good. It was a little nerve-wracking. Yeah, we had national team trials, but it felt like there's been a big gap between Lucerne and now," Luwis said. "I've raced some of these women, not all of them, so there were a lot more unknowns. It was really good to shake off the dust and make sure the fitness was still there, the power was still there. I would have liked to finish higher in the heat times, but it's nice to win my heat and get one race under the belt for semis."

For Luwis, today's race was extra special as she missed last year's world championships due to injuries sustained in a serious car accident.

"So, today is actually a year to the day of the accident, pretty much to the hour," Luwis said. "I'm actually going to walk towards ice cream to celebrate. Yeah, I'm a lightweight, but I have a couple of days to get back on it. I feel like I've been waiting for a year to do exactly this."

In the men's double sculls, Ben Davison (Inverness, Fla./University of Washington/California Rowing Club) and Sorin Koszyk (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Cornell University/California Rowing Club) took the lead early in the race and pulled away from the field over the first 1,500 meters, before cruising to the victory. Davison and Koszyk took the early lead over Poland in the first 500 meters before pulling out to nearly a three-second lead at the halfway point over France's Hugo Boucheron, reigning Olympic and world champion, and his new partner, Valentin Onfroy. With four to advance to the quarterfinals, Davison and Koszyk continued to increase their lead in the third 500, building a 3.72-second advantage on France going into the final quarter of the race. Ireland 's Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch used a strong final 500 meters to overtake France to finish second. The U.S. boat clocked a 6:11.12, with Ireland crossing in a 6:12.77. France finished third in a 6:14.27.

"We're still fairly new as a team, so we're just kind of figuring it out," Davison said. "We wanted to execute the first 1,500 today, or whatever it was that was going to get us across the line first. We'll be able to build through the week, so we're happy with that."

In the lightweight men's single sculls, Sam Melvin (Huntington Beach, Calif./Columbia University/New York Athletic Club) finished second in the third of five heats, advancing to the quarterfinals. With four to advance, Melvin got off the line in third position before moving into second place at the halfway point. Melvin continued to close the gap on Switzerland's Andri Struzina over the third 500 meters and trailed the Swiss sculler by about one second heading into the final quarter of the race. Struzina was able to hold off Melvin over the final stretch to earn the victory in a 6:53.47. Melvin crossed the line in a 6:55.17. with Iraq's Mohammed Al-Khafaji, who got off to a blistering start, taking third.

"I just tried to focus on getting out of the blocks cleanly and just get into a good rhythm," Melvin said. "I just tried to stay efficient throughout the entire race. It's a big jump up. It feels great to be racing on the world stage again, and it's exciting to be racing at this level. I'm excited to progress through the regatta and go as fast as I can go."

The lightweight men's double sculls duo of Jimmy McCullough (Philadelphia, Pa./University of Delaware/Texas Rowing Center) and Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia/Texas Rowing Center) came back to finish second in the second of five heats to move on to the quarterfinals. With four to advance, McCullough and Heese rowed in fifth position for the first 1,000 meters, just off the qualifying pace. The duo began to move through the field in the third quarter of the race, pulling into third as the crews hit 500 meters to go. The crew chased down Turkey in the final stretch to move into second, just behind Italy. Italy's Gabriel Soares and Stefano Oppo won the race in a 6:17.14, with the U.S. finishing in a 6:18.48. Turkey finished third, with Greece taking fourth.

"It's the first race for this combination, so we really didn't know how it was going to go," McCullough said. "It's a fast field, so we just tried to be internal and put together a full piece. We're learning as we go, so I think today was a really good first day, and we're going to see how the rest of the regatta turns up. We definitely have to go faster, so we're going to continue to work on that.

Senior national team rookies Evan Olson (Bothell, Wash./University of Washington/Seattle Scullers/Penn AC) and William Bender (Norwich, Vt./Dartmouth College) also finished second in their heat of the men's pair to move on to the quarterfinals. The U.S. duo got off the line in first place before Romania's Marius Cozmiuc and Sergiu Bejan, the reigning world champions, moved into the lead at the halfway point. Olson and Bender were able to stay close to the leaders over the final 1,000 meters, finishing 1.28 seconds behind at the line. Romania won the race in a 6:25.66, with Olson and Bender clocking a 6:26.94.

"It was pretty good; maybe a bit better than we expected," Olson said. "We've been working on getting off the line quick, and we kind of expected the field to be up on us, so Billy (and I) had a look over at about 300 (meters) in, and the whole field was right there. That gave us a lot of confidence. Then, we just stuck to our rhythm, stuck to the plan – didn't do any big moves or any crazy sprints. I was really happy with the result."

In the men's single sculls, Eliot Putnam (Littleton, Mass./Cornell University/New York Athletic Club) finished third in the sixth of eight heats and now will race in the repechages for another chance to make it to the quarterfinals. With two to advance, Putnam got off the line in fifth position before moving into third during the middle 1,000 meters. Dutch sculler Simon van Dorp took the early lead over New Zealand's Thomas Mackintosh during the first half of the race. Mackintosh closed the gap to less than one second during the back half of the race, with van Dorp winning in a 6:40.82. Mackintosh finished 0.76 seconds back in a 6:41.58, with Putnam crossing in a 6:51.68. Putnam will race tomorrow afternoon in the repechages.

Ten U.S. crews will hit the water for the first time on Monday.

In the PR3 mixed double sculls, Todd Vogt (Rochester, N.Y. /Portland Boat Club) and Gemma Wollenschlaeger (St. Augustine Beach, Fla./Temple University) will take on Mexico, Germany, Australia, and Brazil in the second of two heats, with only the winner advancing directly to the final. Vogt is a three-time national team member, having raced in the event last year. Wollenschlaeger is making her national team debut. The duo dominated the competition at the 2023 Para Rowing Regatta to Paris in July. Australia's Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager won World Rowing Cup II earlier this summer.

At last year's world championships, the U.S. won the bronze medal in the women's pair, and while this year's lineup is completely new, it includes a wealth of experience in Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y./Ithaca College/California Rowing Club) and Alie Rusher (West Bend, Wis./Stanford University/California Rowing Club). Musnicki is a 10-time national team member, three-time Olympian, and two-time Olympic gold medalist, while Rusher was part of the Tokyo 2020 squad. The duo won a silver medal in its lone world cup appearance earlier this season. On Monday, Musnicki and Rusher will race in the second of four heats with the winner advancing directly to the semifinals. The U.S. will take on France, Greece, Germany, Chile, and Individual Neutral Athletes in its opening race.

In the lightweight women's double sculls, Mary Jones Nabel (Huntsville, Ala./University of Tennessee/Cambridge Boat Club) and Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif./University of Tulsa/Cambridge Boat Club) will be looking to get the U.S. back on the medal stand this year. Sechser, an 11-time national team member, won a silver medal in the event in 2022 with partner Molly Reckford, while Jones Nabel, a seven-time team member, raced in the lightweight single sculls. Sechser and Jones Nabel joined forces this season during the selection camp after World Rowing Cup II. The duo will take on Australia, Germany, China, and Denmark in the third of four heats, with the top two finishers advancing directly to the semifinals.

In the women's double sculls, Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wis./University of Wisconsin/Texas Rowing Center) and Kristi Wagner (Weston, Mass./Yale University/ARION) joined forces in July of last year and went on to finish fifth at the 2022 World Rowing Championships. The duo reached the medal stand at their lone world cup race earlier this summer, finishing less than 0.1 seconds behind China's Shiyu Lu and Shuangmei Shen to take silver at World Rowing Cup II. On Monday, Vitas and Wagner will race in the second of four heats against crews from Australia, South Africa, Canada, and Italy, with the top two moving on to the semifinals.

The lightweight men's quadruple sculls crew of Jamie Copus (Oxford, England/Oxford Brookes University/Penn AC), Casey Howshall (Philadelphia, Pa./University of Pennsylvania/Riverside Boat Club), Ian Richardson (Amesbury, Mass./University of Connecticut/Riverside Boat Club), and Bernard Aparicio (Corona, Calif./San Diego State University/San Diego Rowing Club) will be making its Team USA debut in tomorrow's race for lanes. Copus is a multiple-time British national team member who is competing for the U.S. for the first time. Richardson was part of the boat last year, while Howshall and Aparicio are competing on their first senior national team. With only three boats entered, the U.S. will get the chance to line up against Italy and Germany ahead of Friday's final. Italy won gold last year.

The PR3 four with coxswain of Emelie Eldracher (Andover, Mass./Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Ben Washburne (Madison, Conn./Williams College), Alex Flynn (Wilmington, Mass./Tufts University), Saige Harper (Easthampton, Mass./Sacred Heart University), and Skylar Dahl (Minneapolis, Minn./University of Virginia) includes three returnees and two newcomers. Eldracher, Harper, and Flynn were part of last year's boat, while Dahl and Washburne are first-time national team members. The crew won gold at the 2023 Para Rowing Regatta to Paris, its first international race. On Monday, the U.S. will take on Australia, Korea, Great Britain, and Mexico in the second of two heats, with the top two finishers advancing directly to the final. Great Britain has a 13-year winning streak that includes three straight Paralympic golds and the 2022 World Rowing Championships.

In the women's four, Claire Collins (McLean, Va./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center-Princeton), Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wis./University of Wisconsin/USRowing Training Center-Princeton), Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Conn./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center-Princeton), and Molly Bruggeman (Dayton, Ohio/University of Notre Dame/USRowing Training Center-Princeton) will take on Spain, Canada, The Netherlands, and Denmark in the first of three heats, with the top three moving on to the semifinals. Collins and Wanamaker doubled up last year, winning bronze in the pair and finishing fourth in the eight. Reelick and Bruggeman also were part of the eight in 2022. The U.S. won gold in the four with the same lineup at the 2023 World Rowing Cup II ahead of Great Britain and Australia. The Netherlands won the silver medal in the event at the 2022 World Rowing Championships.

Racing in the first of three heats in the men's four, Liam Corrigan (Old Lyme, Conn./Harvard University/California Rowing Club), Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pa./Cornell University/California Rowing Club), Nick Mead (Strafford, Pa./Princeton University/New York Athletic Club), and Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pa./Drexel University/California Rowing Club) will take on South Africa, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia, and Ukraine. Mead was part of the four last year, while Corrigan was part of the eight. Grady and Best rowed together in the pair. The U.S. finished third in the event behind Great Britain and Australia at the 2023 World Rowing Cup II with Corrigan, Mead, and Grady racing in that boat. Australia won silver last year, as well as at this year's third world cup race.

The women's quadruple sculls crew of Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, R.I./Princeton University/Cambridge Boat Club), Grace Joyce (Northfield, Ill./University of Wisconsin/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), Molly Reckford (Short Hills, N.J./Dartmouth College/Sarasota Crew), and Lauren O'Connor (Belleville, Wis./University of Wisconsin/ARION) will take on China, Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Australia in the first of three heats. The top three finishers will move directly to the semifinals. Kallfelz and Joyce were part of the quad last year, while Reckford won a silver medal in the lightweight women's double sculls. O'Connor is making her world championships' debut. China won gold at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and at the 2022 World Rowing Championships. On this year's world cup circuit, China won gold at the second world cup.

The men's quadruple sculls crew of Dominique Williams (Madison, Conn./University of Pennsylvania/Vesper Boat Club), Will Legenzowski (Vista, N.Y./Brown University/California Rowing Club), Liam Galloway (Ridgefield, Conn./Yale University), and Kevin Cardno (Huntsville, Ala./University of Alabama, Huntsville/Texas Rowing Center High Performance) will race against Romania, The Netherlands, Estonia, Ukraine, and Ireland in the second of three heats, with the top two finishers advancing to the semifinals. Williams and Cardno were members of the quad last year, while Legenzowski and Galloway move up to the senior team for the first time having raced internationally at the under 23 level. The Dutch crew won World Rowing Cup III.

In total, the U.S. will have 22 boats competing this week in Belgrade. In addition to world championships being on the line, the regatta is the first opportunity for countries to qualify boats for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Heats and repechages will continue on Tuesday, with quarterfinals taking place on Wednesday. Semifinals get underway on Thursday, while the medal races will take place starting on Friday. Nearly 1,000 athletes from 74 delegations are scheduled to compete. Italy has entered the most boats with 24, followed by Germany with 23.

The live race tracker will be available for all races on www.worldrowing.com. Live video streaming will be available on the World Rowing website for all eight days of competition (local restrictions apply). Video streaming will start five minutes before the first race.

Click here for USRowing's daily coverage of the 2023 World Rowing Championships. Click here for USRowing's photo galleries. Click here for the official schedule, heat sheets, and results on worldrowing.com. Follow along with the U.S. National Team at the 2023 World Rowing Championships by using the hashtags #WorldRowingChamps and #WRCHBelgrade.

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 Centers.