A New World (Cup)

Those who’d forgotten about FISA’s decision to drop the lightweight men’s four from the Olympics were reminded of it at the first World Rowing Cup of the year in Belgrade, where, as expected, there was zero evidence of the event’s previous existence. The women’s four, meanwhile, enjoyed a successful return as an Olympic event, with the Netherlands striking first in Serbia. Another notable change: For the first time, women can now cox men’s boats, and vice versa. “I was nervous because I was the first female to cox a male eight,” said Dieuwke Fetter, who overcame her jitters to pilot the Dutch to gold.