Wanamaker and Collins Win Henley Royal Regatta

Paris Olympians Maddie Wanamaker and Claire Collins joined forces this weekend at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta to win the Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup. The pair finished the 2,112-meter course in seven minutes and 53 seconds, four and a half lengths ahead of their competition. 

They were up against Croatian twin sisters, Ivana Jurkovic and Josipa Jurkovic, who had just come fourth in the women’s pair event at World Cup Lucerne. However, Wanamaker and Collins have been rowing together for a while, even earning bronze in the women’s pair at the 2022 World Rowing Championships. So, it was unsurprising to see the Wanamaker and Collins take the early lead. Even as the Croatian pair made a move around the halfway point of the race, Wanamaker and Collins stayed calm and extremely fluid, barely giving up any meters. The race was solidified when the Croatian pair had some steering issues while Wanamaker and Collins stayed relaxed and had a steady finish. 

The Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup was first raced in 2017 and was won by a New Zealand pair. In 2022, the Cup was won by Meghan Musnicki, another Paris Olympian who raced in the women’s eight with Wanamaker and Collins. Musnicki’s pair partner was Australian Olympian Jessica Morrison.

Two other U.S. crews had major successes at Henley this past weekend. Rutgers University A crew won the Island Challenge Cup while also breaking the course record, and Harvard University Lightweight Men won the Temple Challenge Cup.

The Henley Royal Regatta is one of the most prestigious and oldest regattas in the world, with the first race being held in 1839 on the Henley stretch of the River Thames. In 1851, the regatta caught the interest of Prince Albert, and he became the patron of the event, earning the regatta the title of “Royal”. The regatta has been held every year since 1839, aside from the years during World War I, World War II, and COVID-19.