Three U.S. Crews Advance, with Wins in Men’s and Women’s Fours

The U.S. opened the 2025 U23 World Rowing Championships with impressive performances, notching victories in both the men’s and women’s four events. Cosmo Hondrogen advances to the A Final in the lightweight men's single sculls after a strong race that came down to a photofinish. 

The men’s four won their heat by an impressive 11.54 seconds ahead of second-place finishers, Poland. The crew, led by Ryan Martin, took an early lead in the first 500 meters and never relinquished it, steadily extending their lead throughout the remainder of the race. The crew features a mix of experienced rowers and new talent, with the University of Washington’s Martin and Lyle Donovan making their first national team, joined by silver medalists in the 2024 men’s eight, Sam Sullivan from the University of Pennsylvania and Wilson Morton from the University of California.

“We found a good rhythm early in the piece and we are excited to continue to build off of that,” said University of Washington’s Ryan Martin. “It was great to see Cosmo have such a strong piece, and we can't wait to see what the lightweight double, quad, and eights can accomplish tomorrow.”

In the women’s four, Texas' Phoebe Wise led the crew to a confident win over Romania, clocking a time of 6:53.28. The U.S. found their footing in the second 500 meters, quickly moving into second place behind Romania. The crew showed off their experience, pushing their bow ahead in the third 500 meters. They continued to move away from the field in their sprint. Newcomer Allie Alton joined veterans Wise, Ellie Smith, and Quincy Stone in this confident performance. 

"The race was great, it was my first international race, and I was really excited to be here and race really fast crews," said Allie Alton. "Our boat is looking forward to another opportunity to show our speed in the Semifinals and happy we had a really solid first piece to start the regatta."

After late scratches reshuffled the heats, Cosmo Hondrogen adjusted well and finished second in a thrilling race in the men's lightweight single sculls. The rising sophomore from Dartmouth College showed maturity, maintaining a calm rhythm while battling closely with Italy’s Luca Borgonovo. Germany’s Mats Winkels had a bold sprint, but Hondrogen kept his bow ball ahead by .02 seconds, securing his bid to the A Final on July 26. This was his first race as a U23 athlete; he previously competed in the U19 four, where his crew finished eighth.

The men’s double sculls gained valuable experience for a young U.S. crew. Ryan Miller, an incoming freshman at Drexel University, showed promise as a rising star alongside his boatmate and future Drexel teammate, Matthew Kennedy. The duo finished fifth in their heat with a time of 6:46.17. Greece won the race. Miller and Kennedy will compete in the C Final on July 25.

Columbia’s Adam Pushner and Colton Millar finished fourth in their heat in the men's pair, won by Switzerland. They crossed the finish line in a time of 6:42.34 and will race in the C Final on July 25. 

Racing for the U.S. continues tomorrow at 10:59 a.m. CSET with the lightweight men’s double sculls. The men’s quadruple sculls race at 11:34 a.m. Their crew is composed of four returning national team athletes, three of whom raced in sculling boats at last year’s U23 World Championships. The men’s and women’s eights follow at 11:45 a.m. and  11:57 a.m., with 11 returning athletes looking for another shot at a podium. 

All races are streaming here. A detailed racing schedule can be found here (all times are in Central European Summer Time).

USRowing would like to thank and acknowledge key partners HUDSON, the Official Boat Supplier for the U.S. Under 19 and Under 23 National Team. Through the partnership, HUDSON supplies racing shells for selection and training domestically, with matched shells provided internationally for racing.