Two Crews Advance to Semifinals at 2025 World Rowing Championships

The U.S. is off to a strong start at the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, with two crews advancing to the semifinals following a day of intense racing against the best in the world. 

In the men’s quadruple sculls, the U.S. crew delivered a gritty performance in one of the most competitive heats of the day. The Americans launched off the line aggressively, staying neck-and-neck with the host nation, China, through the first 500 meters. By the halfway mark, the U.S. had edged into the lead, establishing a commanding rhythm that held off the surging British crew. The third 500 meters turned into a battle, with the U.S. and Great Britain trading strokes before the British made a late push to the line. The crew of Olympian Chris Carlson, Cedar Cunningham, Olympian Jacob Plihal, and Nathan Phelps finished second with the fourth fastest time of the day. 

"I think we had a good start to racing and solid speed on the course," said Olympian Jacob Plihal. "The rhythm felt productive and loose in the tailwind today, and I think we can and need to keep building on that as we look towards the semifinals. We brushed off some cobwebs today on the race course (after not having raced since Lucerne), and we posted a competitive time. The intention is to build upwards from race to race throughout the regatta, and we think we've put ourselves in a good spot to accomplish that right now."

In the women’s pair, Holly Drapp and Olympian Jess Thoennes showed poise under pressure in a stacked field. Italy and France took an early lead. The Americans found themselves locked in a tight contest with the crew of neutral athletes in the first 500 meters but made a decisive move in the second 500 to claim third. Drapp and Thoenness maintained their speed through the final stretch to secure their spot in the semifinals. Their heat was among the fastest of the day, placing them in the top six overall.

The women’s quadruple sculls had a tough heat with only a few seconds separating the top three. The Americans battled closely with Poland in fourth place, with only 1.28 seconds separating them going into the final 500 meters. Poland had a fierce sprint that kept them in fourth place. The crew of Sera Busse, Alina Hagstrom, Sophia Calabrese, and Katy Flynn finished in fifth place and will race in the B Final. 

With two crews advancing to the next round, the U.S. has set a strong tone for the championships. The women's double sculls kicks off the racing tonight, starting at 10:37 p.m. ET, followed by the men's double sculls at 11:07 p.m. The women's and men's four close out the day with racing at 11:15 p.m. and 11:39 p.m. Lauren O'Connor in the women's single sculls races on September 22 at 2:11 a.m. ET. Watch on Overnght or on World Rowing. Results and schedule can be found here. 

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