U.S. Wins Three Heats on Monday at the 2023 World Rowing Championships

The U.S. won three heats and saw six crews advance on the second day of racing at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

The lightweight women's double sculls, women's double sculls, and men's four all won their heats on Monday to advance to the semifinals at the Ada Ciganlija regatta course on Sava Lake. In addition, the PR3 mixed four with coxswain advanced to the final thanks to a second-place finish in its heat, while the women's four advanced to the semifinals with its second-place finish. Men's single sculler Eliot Putnam rounded out the advancements by winning his repechage to move on to the quarterfinals. In addition, the PR3 mixed four with coxswain became the first U.S. boat to qualify for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by reaching the final.

Mary Jones Nabel (Huntsville, Ala./University of Tennessee/Cambridge Boat Club) and Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif./University of Tulsa/Cambridge Boat Club) came back to win the third of four heats of the lightweight women's double sculls to advance directly to the semifinals. With two to advance, China's Xiuping Qiu and Jiaqi Zou got out to the early lead, with Jones Nabel and Sechser sitting about a length behind at the halfway point. The American crew cut that lead in half over the third 500 meters before overtaking the Chinese boat in the final 500 meters. Jones Nabel and Sechser clocked a 7:08.58, with China finishing in a 7:09.31.

"It was a windy day, so it was really challenging to hold all of our changes coming together, but I think we did a great job in our first race – finding each other through the middle and getting the result that we wanted in the end," said Jones Nabel. "It was a great test of the work we've done to adapt to the race, and we're excited to take steps forward throughout the week."

"It's our first regatta together, like Mary said, and I'm really excited to grow and build through the regatta," Sechser said. "It's my third qualifying world championships and knowing how thrilling and exciting the semifinals here can be – knowing that if we get top three in the semi and make it on to the A final that (it provides) a lot of great steps forward for us – I expect everyone to be charging for the same thing, and I'm looking forward to that battle."

In the women's double sculls, Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wis./University of Wisconsin/Texas Rowing Center) and Kristi Wagner (Weston, Mass./Yale University/ARION) won the second of four heats by about a length to advance to the semifinals. With two to advance, the American crew got off the line in second position behind Canada's Katie Clark and Marilou Duvernay Tardif before moving into the top spot in the second quarter of the race. Vitas and Wagner pulled away from the field in the third 500 meters before crossing the line ahead of Italy's Silvia Crosio and Stefania Buttignon. The U.S. boat finished with a time of 6:58.91, with Italy taking the other qualifying spot in a 7:00.56. Australia wound up third in a 7:02.48.

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) defeated Australia to win the race and move directly into the semifinals. With two to advance, the U.S. and Australia were basically even at the 500-meter mark before the American crew began to inch away. The U.S. led by 1.24 seconds at the halfway point and continued to build the margin over the final 1,000 meters. The U.S. crossed with a time of 6:01.51, with Australia taking second in a 6:03.76. Ukraine finished third.

"Tough conditions out there, but I think we handled is alright," Corrigan said. "We probably could have been cleaner through a lot of the race, but we felt like we had a decent rhythm through the middle of the piece, a little bit of swerving on the course. It gives us a lot of room to improve, but obviously good that we are not that far off from contention with some of the better crews."

"Just recover. That's the big thing," said Corrigan about the preparations for the semifinals. "We have 48 hours or so, so we're just going to flush out the legs, take it easy, and try to recover as much as possible. We know the semis are pretty much the final for all the crews here with Olympic qualification (on the line), so I think that is the focus for us."

After finishing third in his heat yesterday, men's single sculler Eliot Putnam (Littleton, Mass./Cornell University/New York Athletic Club) advanced to Wednesday's quarterfinals with a victory in the third of eight repechages. With just one to advance, Putnam trailed individual neutral athlete Alexander Vyazovkin at the halfway point before using a huge move in the third 500 to take command of the race. Putnam ended up clocking a 7:26.21 to finish 8.63 seconds ahead of Vyazovkin.

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) punched its ticket to the final thanks to a second-place finish in their heat. With two to advance, the U.S. boat got off the line in first position and was bowball-to-bowball with the crew from Great Britain as the boats hit the halfway mark. The British crew was able to pull away over the back half of the race, with the U.S. easily finishing in second place. Great Britain won the race in a 7:07.29, while the U.S. finished in a 7:13.06. By reaching the final, the U.S. has staked claim to one of the qualification spots for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

"It was fun to see where everybody laid out," Harper said. "You spend all summer by yourselves and to see the rest of the world, where everybody is going to map out, is fun to see. I think we just want to work on feeling the course out better. We've only been here for a week, so knowing the course better can't hurt."

"First worlds was a whirlwind," said Harper comparing last year to this year. "I couldn't tell you anything that happened because I was completely start struck the entire time. This time, I'm a little bit more relaxed. You never really know what to expect, but I know the feelings more. I know the feeling at the start line more, the feeling going to the finish more, and the preparation."

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) finished second behind The Netherlands to earn a spot in the semifinals. With three to advance, the U.S. boat rowed in second position the entire way down the course. The Dutch boat claimed the lead in the first 500 meters and continued to row at the top of the field the entire way down the course, crossing the line in a 6:38.45. The U.S. finished with a time of 6:40.65, with Denmark earning the other spot in the semifinals in a 6:43.03.

"The goal is to be the best on Saturday, so I think we've got a whole week to continue to improve," Collins said. "That's been the point of the whole summer – each day get a little bit better. There's actually a lot of time in the world championships week to continue to improve, so I think we got the job done today.

"It was pretty gusty and crazy out there today, which we are used to from (Lake) Mercer, but it still can kind of throw you. We had a few bobbles, things that kind of caught us, but I thought it was a really good push, a really good looseness and moving together to get the boat to keep moving and recover. We got the job done. We have a few things to work on. Times are pretty close between all the women's fours heats, so that's exciting."

In what turned into a three-boat race for the one qualifying spot for the final, the women's pair of Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y./Ithaca College/California Rowing Club) and Alie Rusher (West Bend, Wis./Stanford University/California Rowing Club) came up a half-deck short of Chile and now will race in tomorrow's repechage for their second chance to move on to the medal race. Racing in the second of four heats, the U.S. boat got off the line in fourth position before moving into third place at the halfway point. Greece's Christina Ioanna Bourmpou and Evangelia Anastasiadou jumped out to the early lead and entered the final 500 meters just a couple of feet ahead of the U.S. in second and Chile's Antonia and Melita Abraham in third. The three crews battled each other stroke for stroke over the final 500 meters with the Abraham sisters pulling their bowball in front at the line. Chile crossed in a 7:12.97, with the U.S. finishing in a 7:13.39. Greece crossed third in a 7:13.84.

In the PR3 mixed double sculls, Todd Vogt (Rochester, N.Y. /Portland Boat Club) and Gemma Wollenschlaeger (St. Augustine Beach, Fla./Temple University) finished third in their heat and will race in Wednesday's repechages. The U.S. got off the line in fourth position before moving into third place as the crews entered the final 500 meters. The U.S. pulled its bowball ahead of Brazil in the last stretch, but Germany was able to overtake both the Brazilians and the Americans in the final sprint to claim second. Australia's Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager won the race in a 7:20.93, finishing nearly five seconds ahead of Germany's 7:25.90. The U.S. finished with a time of 7:26.42.

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) finished fourth in its heat and will race in tomorrow's repechages. China took the lead off the start and continued to row at the top of the field the rest of the way down the course. With three to advance, Australia and Switzerland solidified the other two qualifying spots during the middle 1,000 meters, with the Swiss crew passing Australia in the final quarter of the race to finish second. China won the race in a 6:30.75, with Switzerland taking second in a 6:32.39. Australia crossed the line in a 6:33.89, with the U.S. taking fourth in a 6:39.34.

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) also finished fourth in its heat and will now race in the repechages. With just two to advance, Ukraine and The Netherlands jumped to the top of the field in the first 500 meters, with the U.S. rowing in third. The top two boats continued to pull away from the rest of the field in the second quarter of the race and were never challenged for the top two spots. The U.S. raced in third for most of the race before Estonia caught them at the line. The Dutch boat won the race in a 5:59.78, with Ukraine taking second in a 6:04.57. Estonia finished third in a 6:07.62, while the U.S. clocked a 6:08.73.

Six U.S. crews will hit the water for the first time on Tuesday.

With the change in Monday's schedule, 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) had its start of racing delayed by a day. The crew 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.

Andrew Mangan (Buffalo, N.Y./Stanford University/West Side Rowing Club) will be racing in the first heat of the PR1 men's single sculls. Mangan finished 10th in the event in 2022. He will take on scullers from Italy, Israel, Mexico, France, and Poland in the first of four heats, with the winner moving directly to the semifinals. Italy's Giacomo Perini won silver at last year's world championships.

After racing in the PR2 men's single sculls last year, Russell Gernaat (Redwood City, Calif./Lake Casitas Rowing Club) is back in the PR2 mixed double with a new partner, Madison Eberhard (Buffalo, N.Y./ West Side Rowing Club). The duo finished third in the event at the 17th Gavirate International Para Rowing Regatta in June. On Tuesday, they will take on crews from Great Britain, The Netherlands, China, and Israel, with just the winner advancing directly to the final. The British boat of Lauren Rowles and Gregg Stevenson won the 2023 World Rowing Cup II

In the lightweight women's pair, the U.S. crew of Elaine Tierney (West Chester, Pa./Temple University/Penn AC) and Solveig Imsdahl (Eutin, Germany/Cornell University/Penn AC) won the silver medal in the event last year. Part of a three-boat field, Tierney and Imsdahl will take on crews from Italy and Germany in tomorrow's race for lanes. Italy won the gold medal last year but will be boating a new lineup in 2023.

The women's eight of coxswain Cristina Castagna (Cincinnati, Ohio/University of Washington), Charlotte Buck (Nyack, N.Y./Columbia University/USRowing Training Center-Princeton), Mary Mazzio-Manson (Wellesley, Mass./Yale University/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), Brooke Mooney (Keene Valley, N.Y./University of Washington/USRowing Training Center-Princeton), Alina Hagstrom (Seattle, Wash./Oregon State University/USRowing Training Center-Princeton), Regina Salmons (Methuen, Mass./University of Pennsylvania/USRowing Training Center-Princeton), Jessica Thoennes (Highlands Ranch, Colo./University of Washington/USRowing Training Center-Princeton), Margaret Hedeman (Concord, Mass./Yale University), and Emily Froehlich (Fishers, Ind./University of Texas/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) includes four members of last year's fourth-place crew in Buck, Salmons, Hagstrom, and Thoeness. Mooney, who was coming off an injury, was an alternate on last year's squad but raced in the eight in Tokyo. Castagna, Mazzio-Manson, Hedeman, and Froehlich are all first-time senior team members. On Tuesday, the crew will race against China, Canada, and Australia in the first of two heats, with the winner moving directly to the final. Canada won the bronze medal last year.

The U.S. men's eight of coxswain Jimmy Catalano (Greenwich Conn./University of Wisconsin), Pieter Quinton (Portland, Ore./Harvard University/California Rowing Club), Ezra Carlson (Eureka, Calif./University of Washington/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), Alexander Hedge (Morristown, N.J./Columbia University/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), Chris Carlson (Bedford, N.H./University of Washington/California Rowing Club), Peter Chatain (Winnetka, Ill./Stanford University), Oliver Bub (Westport, Conn./Dartmouth College/California Rowing Club), Clark Dean (Sarasota, Fla./Harvard University), and Henry Hollingsworth (Dover, Mass./Brown University/California Rowing Club) will take on Italy, Australia, Romania, and Germany in the second of two heats. The top two finishers will advance straight to the final. Australia won the bronze medal last year. Chris Carlson, Catalano, and Quinton were part of last year's eight that finished fourth at worlds, while Hollingsworth was in the men's four. Ezra Carlson and Bub were alternates on the 2022 team, while Dean was part of the four at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Chatain and Hedge are first-time senior team members.

In total, the U.S. has 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.