Three U.S. Crews Advance to A Finals on Day Two of World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne

The U.S. continued to build momentum at the 2025 World Rowing Cup Lucerne, with all three semifinal crews advancing to their respective A Finals during a strong day of racing in Switzerland. American crews showed grit and determination as they earned their place in Sunday’s medal races with some intense closing sprints.

In one of the most thrilling events of the day, Olympians Teal Cohen and Kate Knifton advanced to the A Final in the women’s pair after finishing third in a semifinal where just 1.43 seconds separated the top four crews. The Czech Republic, Great Britain, Chile, and the U.S. remained nearly level through the full 2,000 meters, with the Czechs edging out the field in 7:01.46. Great Britain followed just behind, while the Americans crossed the line .45 seconds later to claim the final qualifying spot.

The men’s four of Jacob Hudgins, Gus Rodriguez, Josh Diggons, and Olympian Christian Tabash also secured their place in the A Final, finishing third in a competitive semifinal. The Americans pulled away from Great Britain in the closing stretch, laying down an assertive sprint to finish in 5:53.88, more than four seconds ahead of the British crew.

Olympian Grace Joyce and Katheryn Flynn fought their way into the women’s double sculls A Final with a hard-earned third-place finish. After sitting in fifth through the first 500 meters, the duo methodically moved through the field, edging out Switzerland by just .13 seconds to claim the last qualifying spot with a time of 6:51.08. Greece won the semifinal in 6:48.25.

In earlier finals, the U.S. men’s pair of Nathan Phelps and Alexander Hedge claimed a victory in the C Final, leading from the start and holding off a late surge from Germany to win in 6:38.64, just .04 seconds ahead of the second-place crew.

Maggie Fellows placed fourth in the C Final of the women’s single sculls, pushing from sixth into fourth in the third 500 meters and clocking a time of 7:46.60. China won the race in 7:40.44.

In the D Final of the men’s double sculls, Michael Herman and Caleb Nollenberger came from behind to secure first place. After trailing China early, the Americans surged in the final 500 meters to cross the finish line first in 6:24.57, finishing nearly two seconds ahead of China. 

In addition to today’s advancing crews, the men’s quadruple sculls, both women's fours, and both the men’s and women’s eights will line up in their respective A Finals on Sunday morning. For the full results, click here. 

USRowing would like to thank Filippi Lido, the Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Senior and Para 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.