U.S. Wins Four Time Trials, Two Last 16 Races on Opening Day of World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals

The U.S. got off to a strong start on Friday at the 2023 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Barletta, Italy, winning four time trial races and two Last 16 races. The U.S. advanced three boats to quarterfinals and four boats to the Last 16 on the first day of racing, with the other two boats heading to Round 2 racing.

Malachi Anderson (Hamilton, Ohio/Sinclair Community College/Great Miami Rowing/Next Level Rowing) opened Friday's racing with a victory in the time trial of the under 19 men's solo event. Anderson, who won silver in the under 19 men's double sculls last year, won the time trial by more than seven seconds over Italy's Lucio Fugazzotto to earn the top seed in the afternoon's Last 16. Anderson clocked a 2:42.84.

In his afternoon race, Anderson posted the fastest time of the Last 16 races, defeating Cyprus' Michalis Tanos to advance to tomorrow's quarterfinals. In what were more challenging conditions, Anderson clocked a 2:56.35 to win his race.

"Getting into that race was just (having) a good entry and then you really have to worry about leaning back on the wave," Anderson said. "The easiest way to keep good boat speed is by leaning into the waves, so that instead of the boat popping up, it dives straight through it to keep some of that speed you've been working to gain."

In the under 19 women's solo time trial, Annelise Hahl (Cary, N.C./Needham Broughton High School/Triangle Rowing Club/Next Level Rowing), who won bronze in the under 19 women's double sculls at the 2022 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, also posted the fastest time to move on to the afternoon's Last 16 races. Hahl clocked a 2:58.45 to finish 2.21 seconds ahead of Tunisia's Hela Belhaje Mohamed, the defending world champion.

"Definitely very nerve-wracking at the start," said Hahl following the time trial. "I got out there, had a ton of fun. I felt good in the boat, felt pretty strong, and pretty happy with my result."

In the afternoon race, Hahl raced uncontested as Peru's Maria Jose Cevasco did not start. Hahl had to battle the Adriatic Sea as she approached the beach on the return trip but managed to stay upright and come home in a 3:25.43.

The U.S. tandem of Kory Rogers (The Woodlands, Texas/University of Texas/Next Level Rowing/Texas Crew) and Christine Cavallo (Windermere, Fla./Stanford University/Next Level Rowing) recorded the fastest time in the time trial of the open mixed double sculls to advance straight to Saturday's Last 16. Rogers and Cavallo were third fastest to the turn but used a strong return trip to win the race in a 2:26.53, finishing 1.08 seconds ahead of Spain's Ander Martin and Nadia Felipe Garcia. New Zealand's Matthew Dunham and Jackie Kiddle took third.

"Christine and I executed really well," Rogers said. "The start was a little bit frantic. I thought our turn was really good. We've been doing a lot of practice of that in Spain, so I'm feeling really confident going into the (next race) being the one seed."

"Kory, the whole time, just told me to calm down," Cavallo said. "When we're side-by-side, I think we have a very different spirit to us. Same with me in the single. When I'm side-by-side with someone, I just act differently than what I can deliver in a time trial. I also know that 180-degree turn, we aren't doing that today, so we are seeing times for 90 degree turns. I can turn 90 degrees in a lot of different ways to be fast. I've got one, maybe two, ways to get around that 180. I have a lot of confidence in that. And that's part of it. The entry, the exit, and that turn – those technical things – are difference makers on race day. The double was really good, really fun to race."

In the under 19 mixed double sculls, Anderson and Britt Wotovich (Redington Beach, Fla./Berkeley Preparatory School/Palm River Training Center) continued the Americans' strong performance, winning the time trial in a 2:41.18. Anderson and Wotovich finished 0.42 seconds ahead of Great Britain's Jonathan Martini and Isabel Lancaster. Tunisia's Ahmed Talbi and Hela Belhaje Mohamed, who won bronze in the event last year, finished third. The duo will be the top seeds in the Last 16 races, which are scheduled for Sunday.

"We came out and did what we were hoping to do," Anderson said. "We've been training together starting in August. We had a few sessions in Florida to get ready and then a week and a half (in Spain). We were really just focusing on matching and getting our rate up, trying to adjust our stroke and get more hinge in the back end to get as much boat speed as possible. From there, it's just down to the steering and the technique of staying out of the wave."

Christopher Bak (Cincinnati, Ohio/University of Cincinnati/Next Level Rowing) began defense of his men's solo world title with a second-place finish in the time trial. Bak covered the course in a 2:40.13, finishing 3.52 seconds behind Spain's Adrian Miramon Quiroga. The Spanish sculler finished with a time of 2:36.61. Italy's Giovanni Ficarra, the 2021 world champion in the event, was third, finishing in a 2:44.85. Bak advanced to Sunday's Last 16.

"The race went well," Bak said. "A little bit low on the rate. I was struggling a bit to bring it up. All I can ask for is a clean race the first one out. I think there's a bit of a target on my back right now, especially compared to last year. As of today, it's anybody's title. I'm here to have fun. I knew Adrian was going to be a stiff competitor. He's got me by about three-and-a-half seconds, but I think we can make that up."

"Thirty-five entries. I get more and more scared every year of who's going to show up," Bak laughingly said. "It's definitely exciting to see it grow and have the field expand. One thing I love to see year-after-year is the fact that you have people who are trying it for the first time and seasoned veterans to the sport that are all mixing into one race. That brings the Beach Sprint culture into the place that we want it to be."

In the open women's solo event, Cavallo posted the third fastest time of the time trial to advance to the Last 16. Cavallo clocked a 3:03.38 to finish just 0.42 seconds behind the time trial winner, Janneke Van Der Meulen from Netherlands. Van Der Meulen finished in a 3:02.96. France's Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino finished second in a 3:03.19.

"It was really good," Cavallo said. "I went in really focusing on getting a rep in where my arms did not get tired. What do I need to do, so my arms don't get tired. I can handle it today for one race, but on Sunday with back-to-back-to-back-to back (races), that's probably going to be what does me in. Today, I was racing knowing – push it with the legs, save enough so you can still run, stand out of the boat, and get to the finish line at the end, but protect your arms. Historically, that's what's been my limiting factor. It was a good rep on the course – just learning what I needed to do for my body to be in balance."

The open mixed quadruple sculls with coxswain of Bak, Jeni Sorli (Red Lodge, Mont./University of Colorado/Riverside Boat Club/Next Level Rowing), Alexa McAuliffe (Boston, Mass./University of Texas/Next Level Rowing), Rogers, and coxswain Coral Kasden (San Diego, Calif./University of California, Santa Barbara/NYAC/Next Level Rowing) finished fifth in the time trial to advance directly to the quarterfinals. New Zealand, the defending silver medalists, won the time trial in a 2:23.22, with France taking second in a 2:24.08 and Italy finishing third in a 2:24.37. The U.S., which won the bronze medal last year, finished with a time of 2:26.94. The defending world champions from Spain finished seventh in the time trial.

"It definitely wasn't what we wanted," Rogers said. "It was only (three) seconds from first to fifth, so we're feeling good. We know what we need to work on. There's definitely tons of speed to be picked up. We're feeling confident going into the quarterfinals and semis and making that A final."

Hahl and Annalie Duncomb (Mason, Ohio/William Mason High School/Great Miami Rowing), who won the bronze medal in the under 19 women's double sculls at last year's World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, finished sixth in their time trial after incurring a 10-second penalty off the start. Hahl and Duncomb were nearly four seconds faster than the field on the water, but the penalty pushed them back to sixth. The duo will race in Saturday's Round 2 race for the opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals.

"It felt awesome out there," Hahl said. "It was a little heavy, but we got out there and we pushed. We've got a couple of tweaks to make, but it was a really strong race. I'm mad I didn't hear the start, though."

Luke Eward (Durham, N.C./Triangle Rowing Club) and Aidan Humbert (Apex, N.C./Crossroads FLEX High School/Next Level Rowing/Triangle Rowing Club) finished 10th in the time trial of the under 19 men's double sculls and will race in Saturday's Round 2 race for the opportunity to move on to the quarterfinals. Eward and Humbert, who were both racing at their first international competition, covered the course in a 2:46.57. Italy's Leonardo Bellomo and Pasquale Tamborrino won the time trial in a 2:31.69.

The 2023 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals features a record number of 187 crews entered from 39 nations. Saturday's racing is highlighted by the medal round races in the under 19 men's and women's solos, open mixed quadruple sculls with coxswain, and open mixed double sculls. Sunday's racing features the medal round races in the under 19 women's double sculls, under 19 men's double sculls, under 19 mixed double sculls, open men's solo, and open women's solo. Click here for the current race schedule and results.

Racing will be live streamed on worldrowing.com on Saturday and Sunday.

Complete press coverage, athlete bios, and links to event information will be available at www.usrowing.org and www.worldrowing.com. Click here for today's photo gallery. Follow along with the U.S. National Team as it prepares for the 2023 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals by using the hashtags #WorldRowingCoastal and #WRBSF.