STAFF REPORTS | PHOTO COURTESY WORLD ROWING

World Rowing Cup II takes place June 16-18 in Varese, Italy.

Over 300 crews made up of 650 rowers from 42 nations will participate in the regatta.

PHOTO AND STORY COURTESY ROWING CANADA AVIRON

Our 31 Canadian rowers kicked off their international season with a weekend of exhilarating racing at World Cup II. The regatta at the idyllic Lake Varese, Italy witnessed the setting of several world best times, providing the Canadian contingent with invaluable experience as they continue their journey towards this year’s World Championships.

In a captivating Women’s Eight final, the Canadian crew secured a commendable third-place finish, falling just 0.99 seconds short of a silver medal. The race was a nail-biting spectacle, with all three boats overlapping at the finishing line. Notably, the Canadian Women’s Eight crew accomplished this feat after all eight rowers had already competed in the Women’s Four A and B finals earlier in the day. While there were no podium appearances this weekend, there are positives to be taken away from the experience of competing in both classes.

World Cup II was the first time Women’s Eight have competed in this year’s World Cup events, and with only three entries in the field, Canada, Great Britain and the gold medal-winning Australia crew, a bronze medal was not awarded.

The Canadian Men’s Eight crew put up a strong fight in the final race of World Cup II. After Great Britain clinched a commanding gold medal victory, the Canadian team initially led the battle for silver through the 1500m mark. However, they were eventually overtaken by the chasing Australian, German, and Italian crews, finishing in fifth place.

Sunday’s final proved to be a much stronger race for the Eight than Friday’s race for lane assignments. Cox Laura Court believes that while the crew may be disappointed at missing a medal, they feel affirmed that they are progressing according to plan.

“Today was really exciting as our plan was to be more aggressive and take advantage of our opportunities,” said Court. “Although it’s not the finish we wanted, we feel good about what we’ve learned about ourselves as racers and as a crew when all nine minds have one goal in mind.”

In the exciting A Final of the Lightweight Women’s Double, Jill Moffatt and Jenny Casson secured a respectable fifth-place finish. The race of the weekend saw the top five boats, including Moffatt and Casson, separated by less than two seconds at the 1000m mark. In the final stretch, the British and USA1 duos surged ahead, with the Brits ultimately prevailing by a mere 0.08 seconds. The competition in this class was intense throughout the weekend, with world’s best times shattered on the first two days of the event.

In the Women’s Four A final, the CAN 2 crew of Jessica Sevick, Cassidy Deane, Morgan Rosts and Kirsten Edwards finished with fifth place in a final that saw the United States crew take a commanding gold medal victory. While teammates Kristina Walker, Avalon Wasteneys, Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski and Alexis Cronk powered to a resounding victory in the B Final leading at every interval.

Both the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Quad crews competed in the B Finals on Sunday. The Men’s Quad engaged in a close race with two Chinese crews, with all three boats separated by just one-second heading into the final 500m. The Canadian Men’s Quad finished third, securing a ninth-place overall ranking. Meanwhile, the Women’s Quad secured a third-place finish (ninth overall), benefiting from a strong final 1000m and gathering valuable insights as a newly formed lineup.

Marilou Duvernay-Tardif and Katie Clark claimed a commendable third place in the Women’s B Final, earning them an overall ninth-place finish. Making their debut appearance at an international regatta, Duvernay-Tardiff and Clark showcased their prowess, particularly in the final 500 meters, where they closely trailed the winners, Germany, finishing just 0.11 seconds behind Italy in second place.

Unfortunately, Trevor Jones was unable to participate in the D Final of the Men’s Single on Saturday due to medical reasons. He will be reassessed ahead of the next event, the Henley Royal Regatta.

The Canadian crews depart Italy for England for the 2023 Henley Royal Regatta taking place over six days from Tuesday, June 27 to Sunday, July 2. One of the most prestigious regattas in the world, the Henley Royal Regatta is the highlight of the British summer rowing calendar and for many of our athletes, will be the first time they have competed at the historic regatta.

More information on the World Rowing World Cup II can be found here.

PHOTO AND STORY COURTESY USROWING

The women’s four brought home gold, while six other U.S. boats won medals, to highlight the final day of racing at World Rowing Cup II in Varese, Italy.

In addition to gold in the women’s four, the U.S. won silver in the lightweight women’s double sculls, women’s pair, women’s double sculls, and men’s double sculls, as well as bronze in the men’s four and women’s single sculls on Sunday. With yesterday’s silver medal in the lightweight women’s single sculls, the U.S. won eight medals in Varese including one gold, five silver, and two bronze.

The women’s four of Molly Bruggeman (Dayton, Ohio/University of Notre Dame/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Conn./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wis./University of Wisconsin/USRowing Training Center – Princeton), and Claire Collins (McLean, Va./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) grabbed the lead just before the midway point of the race and pulled away from Great Britain to earn the victory. The British crew took the early lead, with the U.S. sitting 0.20 seconds behind at the 500-meter mark. The Americans pulled their bowball ahead during the second 500 meters and then used a solid third 500 meters to take control of the race. The U.S. continued to extend its advantage over the final quarter of the race, finishing with a time of 6:17.55. Great Britain won the silver medal in a 6:19.76, with Australia taking bronze in a 6:22.14.

“We were really excited to race today’s final knowing it was going to be a tight race,” Bruggeman said. “We have been lucky to be pushed every day in practice by our teammates, so we were ready for that situation. We have the best teammates here and at home in Princeton, who are all to thank for helping us achieve this world cup medal. We are excited to keep improving on our way to Serbia.”

In the lightweight women’s double sculls final, defending world championships’ silver medalists Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif./University of Tulsa/ USRowing Training Center – Princeton) and Molly Reckford (Short Hills, N.J./Dartmouth College/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) came up just short of the gold medal as Great Britain’s Emily Craig and Imogen Grant, who won the gold medal at last year’s world championships, edged them at the line by a bowball. France’s Laura Tarantola and Claire Bove, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalists, got off the line in first position before the Americans took the lead in the second 500 meters. The U.S. extended its advantage over the third quarter of the race, taking a little more than a half-boat lead over Craig and Grant as the crews hit 500 meters to go. The Americans still held a deck lead on the British boat with 250 meters to the line, but Craig and Grant were able to edge their bowball ahead in the final two strokes. Great Britain, who set a world’s best time in yesterday’s semifinal, won the race in a 6:44.04, with the U.S. finishing in a 6:44.12. France won the bronze medal in a 6:48.46.

The women’s pair of Alie Rusher (West Bend, Wis./Stanford University/California Rowing Club) and Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y./Ithaca College/California Rowing Club) also brought home the silver medal. Rusher, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, and Musnicki, a three-time Olympian, came together just a few days before the 2023 Winter Speed Order in March and then won the 2023 National Selection Regatta in late April. World Cup II was their first opportunity to test their speed against an international field. In today’s final, the duo sat in second position behind Australia the entire way down the course. Australia’s Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre took the early lead and pulled away from the rest of the field in the second 500 meters. At the same time, Rusher and Musnicki were establishing their hold on second place over Spain and the second U.S. crew of Jessica Thoennes (Highlands Ranch, Colo./University of Washington/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) and Charlotte Buck (Nyack, N.Y./Columbia University/USRowing Training Center – Princeton). Australia continued to build on its lead over the back half of the race, crossing the line in a 6:51.74 to win gold. Rusher and Musnicki took the silver medal in a 6:57.14, with Spain winning bronze in a 7:02.17. Thoennes and Buck finished fourth in a 7:03.63.

“I am incredibly proud of our performance as a boat throughout the regatta,” Musnicki said. “This is Alie’s first world cup appearance and my first time back since Tokyo, so we knew it was going to be a learning and re-learning experience, so to speak, for both of us. I’m sure like all boats, we wanted to come out of each race with something to work on for the next, progressing as the weekend went on. To come away with a silver and qualify ourselves to represent the USA in the women’s pair is a great feeling. We will enjoy this moment and then head back to (California Rowing Club) to go to work for nine weeks.”

The U.S. took another silver medal in the women’s double sculls, missing gold by just a bowball. Kristi Wagner (Weston, Mass/Yale University/ARION) and Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wisc./University of Wisconsin/Texas Rowing Center) sat in fifth position through the 1,000-meter mark before using the fastest third 500 meters to move into second place. China’s second boat got off to the fastest start before the top Chinese crew of Shiyu Lu and Shuangmei Shen took the lead in the second 500 meters. Lu and Shen continued to lead as the crews made their final sprint with Wagner and Vitas closing the gap on each stroke. At the line, China had won the race in a 6:41.43, with the Americans crossing in a 6:41.50. France took the bronze medal in a 6:43.03. The second U.S. boat of Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, R.I./Princeton University/Cambridge Boat Club) and Lauren O’Connor (Belleville, Wis./University of Wisconsin/ARION) finished fifth, clocking a 6:53.32.

“The double was a fun race,” Wagner said. “We came a little short of the win, but we gave it everything we had. Racing in both the doubles and quad was a challenge, but I’m so proud of my boatmates for giving it our all. Excited to get home and back to work after a little bit of rest, so we can keep improving.”

The men’s double sculls combination of Sorin Koszyk (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Cornell University/California Rowing Club) and Ben Davison (Inverness, Fla./University of Washington/California Rowing Club) gave the U.S. its fourth silver medal of the day. China got off the line in first position before the Americans were able to take the lead at the midway point of the race, just ahead of China and Italy. The Italian crew of Luca Rambaldi and Matteo Sartori moved into first place during the third quarter of the race, holding a 0.20-second advantage over the Americans as the boats crossed the 1,500-meter mark. Italy was able to move away from the U.S. in the final 500 meters, winning the race in a 6:06.45. Koszyk and Davison finished second in a 6:07.76, with China’s Zhiyu Liu and Liang Zhang taking third.

“We were happy enough with the race today,” Davison said. “We feel like we have been able to come here and put down three consistent races. Each time down the course, we were able to make some improvements. Coming into the regatta, we really just wanted to see if this was a combination worth pursuing, and we now know that it is. This gives us some confidence as we prepare for the world championships in nine weeks.”

In the men’s four, Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pa./Cornell University/California Rowing Club), Nick Mead (Strafford, Pa./Princeton University/New York Athletic Club), Chris Carlson (Bedford, N.H./University of Washington/California Rowing Club), and Liam Corrigan (Old Lyme, Conn./Harvard University/California Rowing Club) brought home the bronze medal. Great Britain and Australia battled each other for the top spot the entire way down the course, with the U.S. settling into third during the second quarter of the race. Great Britain held a slight advantage on Australia at the midway point, and while Australia was able to keep the pressure on during the back half, the British boat was able to keep them at bay. Great Britain won the race in a 5:42.24, with Australia crossing in a 5:43.19. The U.S. won the bronze medal in a 5:48.91.

Women’s single sculler Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley/Texas Rowing Center), the 2019 World Rowing Championships bronze medalist in the event, won bronze in today’s final behind Germany’s Alexandra Foester and Australia’s Tara Rigney. Rigney got off to a strong start, with Kohler sitting in fifth place about a length back at the 500-meter mark. Rigney, Foester, and Kohler began to get separation from the rest of the field in the second 500 meters, with Rigney holding the top spot over Foester by about a half-second and Kohler sitting in third still about a length behind the Australian. In the third 500, Foester and Kohler began to move on Rigney. The two challengers sat even, about a half-length back, as the scullers entered the final 500 meters. That’s when the German upped her rate, overtaking Rigney and pulling away for a length victory. Rigney held off Kohler at the line to win the silver medal. Foester won the race in a 7:20.31, with Rigney finishing second in a 7:22.40. Kohler brought home the bronze medal in a 7:22.75.

“I really believed I could break that barrier to gold and win that race today; however, didn’t quite nail the first 500 sharpness that I think came together quite nicely in the preliminary races here in Varese,” Kohler said. “Figuring out how to get off the line cleanly and efficiently has been a big focus of mine the past few months. Had to dig pretty deep in the second half of the race to pull back on Alex and Tara. I knew going into the race if I didn’t have a healthy lead on Alex, my chances of outpacing her finishing speed were pretty slim. Definitely a lot of positive takeaways from this regatta to build on over the next couple months before the world championships.”

In the final of the men’s pair, Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pa./Drexel University/California Rowing Club) and Pieter Quinton (Portland, Ore./Harvard University/California Rowing Club) placed fourth, finishing just off the medal stand. Great Britain’s Oliver Wynne-Griffith and Tom George led the race from start to finish, clocking a 6:13.15 to win gold ahead of Switzerland and Australia. Best and Quinton sat in fourth position the entire way down the course. The U.S. finished with a time of 6:22.60.

Andrew Gaard (Madison, Wis/University of Washington/California Rowing Club) and Oliver Bub (Westport, Conn./Dartmouth College/California Rowing Club) came back to win the B final of the men’s pair, finishing seventh overall. After getting off the line in sixth position and sitting in fifth place at the midway point, Gaard and Bub rowed through the field over the second half of the race to earn the victory. Poland took the early lead before Denmark inched into the top spot at the 1,000-meter mark. But the U.S. used the fastest third 500 to pull within a half-second of the Polish crew, which had regained the lead, as the boats entered the final quarter of the race. Gaard and Bub built on that momentum during the final 500 meters, pulling away for a 2.26-second victory. The U.S. boat finished with a time of 6:33.26, with Poland taking second in a 6:35.52.

The lightweight women’s double sculls crew of Audrey Boersen (West Olive, Mich./Grand Valley State University/Whitemarsh Boat Club) and Mary Jones Nabel (Huntsville, Ala./University of Tennessee/Cambridge Boat Club) also won the B final to finish seventh overall. Poland and Australia took the early lead, with the American crew sitting less than one second off the pace 500 meters into the race. Boersen and Jones Nabel rowed through Australia in the second quarter before overtaking Poland in the third 500 meters. The Americans pulled away in the final stretch to win by 2.41 seconds, clocking a 6:50.76. Poland finished second in a 6:53.17.

Before racing in the finals of the women’s double sculls, O’Connor, Wagner, Vitas, and Kallfelz won the B final of the women’s quadruple sculls to finish seventh overall. The U.S. took the lead in the first 500 meters and continued to build the advantage through the 1,500-meter mark. Australia, who sat in second place throughout the race, made a slight push in the final 500 meters, but the Americans kept them at a comfortable distance to win the race by nearly two seconds. The U.S. finished with a time of 6:20.35, with Australia clocking a 6:22.24.

Andrew Mangan (Buffalo, N.Y./Stanford University/West Side Rowing Club/Bair Island Aquatic Center) finished third in the B final of the PR1 men’s single sculls for a ninth-place finish overall. Mangan sat in third position at each of the 500-meter splits, clocking a 10:14.40. Ukraine’s Pavlo Liahov won the race in a 9:57.50, besting Mexico’s Michel Munoz Malagon by just over nine seconds. Malagon, who led at the 500-meter mark, stroked a 10:06.56.

In the B final of the lightweight men’s double sculls, the U.S. crews finished third and fourth, respectively. Jimmy McCullough (Philadelphia, Pa./University of Delaware/Texas Rowing Center) and Sam Melvin (Huntington Beach, Calif./Columbia University/New York Athletic Club) got off to a strong start, taking a slight lead in the first 500 meters ahead of Australia. The Aussies moved ahead during the second quarter of the race, with McCullough and Melvin dropping back to second position and teammates Jasper Liu (Phoenix, Ariz./University of Pennsylvania/Texas Rowing Center) and Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia/Texas Rowing Center) moving into third. The U.S. boats held those positions into the final sprint before Belgium was able to put its bowball ahead in the final few strokes. Australia won the race in a 6:17.35, with Belgium finishing in a 6:17.84. McCullough and Melvin held off Liu and Heese by 0.03 seconds, taking third in a 6:18.10 to finish ninth overall. Liu and Heese crossed the line in a 6:18.13, finishing 10^th overall.

By virtue of winning the 2023 National Selection Regatta and then placing high enough here in Varese, women’s single sculler Kara Kohler , the men’s double sculls duo of Sorin Koszyk and Ben Davison, and the women’s pair of Alie Rusher and Meghan Musnicki all earned the opportunity to represent the U.S. in their respective events at the 2023 World Rowing Championships this September in Belgrade, Serbia. The three boats have until 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, June 19, to declare their intent to compete. Click here to see the complete 2023 Senior National Team Selection Procedures.

More than 650 athletes from 42 nations competed in Varese. Full event coverage is available on USRowing.org and WorldRowing.com.

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 Center.

USRowing also would like to thank the Head Of The Charles Regatta, the official sponsor of the U.S. men’s and women’s pairs at World Rowing Cup II.

PHOTO AND STORY COURTESY WORLD ROWING

The stunning surroundings of Lago di Varese provided the backdrop for a second epic day of Finals with 19 more winners crowned and several World Best Times smashed – all five of them in the five Paralympic boat classes.

Twenty nations in total collected medals across the two days of finals, with Great Britain topping the table with an total of six gold, three silver and two bronze. Home nation Italy followed on the medal table with a total of nine medals, while Australia, competing internationally for the first time this season, finished with eight medals.

In perfectly calm and warm conditions, the first three A-Finals of the day saw three World Best Times in a row. Birgit Skarstein of Norway, in traditional dominating fashion, took home yet another World Cup win in the PR1 women’s single sculls, beating her previous World Best Time by three seconds. The following race saw Roman Polianskyi of Ukraine getting his revenge on Italy’s Giacomo Perini, who beat him at the European Championships three weeks ago, and smashing the PR1 men’s single sculls’ best mark by more than four seconds.

More World Best Times were broken by the flying para crews – two of them by Great Britain in the PR2 mixed double sculls and the PR3 mixed coxed four. For their first international competition, the new combination of Jed Altschwager and Nikki Ayers of Australia beat their own mark in the PR3 mixed double sculls – this boat class will make its debut at the Paris 2024 Paralympic games.

Three World Cup Best Times were also set up today. The reigning Olympic Champions of China in the women’s quadruple sculls held off a late charge from Great Britain to keep their winning streak alive. In perhaps more surprising fashion, the new combination for the USA in the women’s four dominated the well-established crews of Great Britain and Australia to earn a gold medal – and a new best mark at World Cup level.

The battle between USA and Great Britain was at its best in the lightweight women’s double sculls, with Olympians Molly Reckford and Michelle Sechser pushing GB’s combination of Imogen Grant and Emily Craig to the bring. But in an amazing sprint to the line, the Brits, who broke the World Best Time in the semifnal on Saturday, managed to get the win by 0.8 seconds over the line.

The best story of the day was undoubtedly the gold medal, on home waters, for Italy in the men’s double sculls. A win that meant more than anything for Luca Rambaldi, on the birthday of his late teammate Filippo Mondelli, who died of cancer two years ago. The USA and China completed the podium.

The two gold medals for Germany came in both the women’s and men’s single sculls, with dominant performances from Alexandra Foester and Oliver Zeidler. The surprise in the men’s single came from Japan’s Ryuta Arakawa, who grabbed a fantastic bronze medal – the first-time ever a Japanese single sculler was awarded a medal at a World Rowing Cup.

The day concluded with the always-anticipated men’s eight, and once again, Great Britain came out fast off the blocks and never looked back. The battle for second was intense, and in front of a packed grandstand in Varese, it was Australia and Germany that got the best of Italy and Canada for the remaining two podium places.

With a gold and two silver medals, Switzerland remains atop the World Rowing Cup standings with 80 points, followed by Great Britain (60 points) and Australia (55 points).

The World Rowing Cup series will conclude in Lucerne, Switzerland from 7 to 9 July.

For race reports, photos, race results and videos go to www.worldrowing.com .

PHOTO AND STORY COURTESY WORLD ROWING

A tail wind provided fast conditions on Lago di Varese for the semifinals and the first of our finals at the 2023 World Rowing Cup II. Eleven nations picked up medals, with home nation Italy securing three golds, one silver and one bronze in the non-Olympic and non-Paralympic boat classes.

The morning session saw some very fast times across the board. The most impressive performance was undoubtedly Great Britain’s lightweight women’s double sculls combination of Emily Craig and Imogen Grant. The reigning World and European champions in that boat class broke the World Best Time in the semifinal, clocking 6:40.47, and will be the crew to beat tomorrow during the A-Final.

Another lightweight combination was impressive today – the french duo of Hugo Beurey and Ferdinand Ludwig, who broke the World Cup Best Time in their boat class in 6:08.75, beating the reigining European Champions of Switzerland in a fast and furious semifinal. The final tomorrow will certainly be one not to miss.

One of the surprises of Friday was Japan’s Ryuta Arakawa, who was the fastest time across all heats in the men’s single sculls. The dream regatta for the Japanese sculler continues as he managed to qualify to his very first A-Final in the single, finishing just behind World Rowing Cup leader and reigning World Champion, Oliver Zeidler of Germany. In the other semifinal, the two Onfroy brothers of France, Valentin and Theophile, also qualified for the A-Final tomorrow, and will try to reach the podium together… but for the first time in different boats.

It was a great day for siblings, as the Struzina brothers of Switzerland, Gian and Andri, were both competing in the lightweight men’s single sculls A-Final in the afternoon. While Gian was quickly out of contention, he surely was delighted by the performance of his brother, who grabbed a silver medal behind Italy’s Niels Torre and ahead of France’s Baptiste Savaete.

As the wind was picking up on Lago di Varese, the lightweight women’s single sculls saw Aurelie Morizot of France take the best start, and lead the way from start to finish, en route to a well-deserved gold medal ahead of Sophia Luwis of the USA and Olivia Bates of Great Britain.

The non-Paralympic boat classes also competed today – and it was another gold medal for Corne De Koning of the Netherlands, this time in the PR2 men’s single sculls, ahead of Gian Filippo Mirabile of Italy. Both rowers will compete again tomorrow in the PR2 and PR3 mixed double sculls.Ukraine and Brazil also picked up gold medals, respectively in the PR3 men’s pair and the PR2 women’s single sculls.

Racing will resume tomorrow morning at 8:25 am CET with the B-Final of the PR1 women’s single sculls, before A-Finals will wrap up the 2023 World Rowing Cup II, starting at 10:05.

You can find the full programme on worldrowing.com.

PHOTO AND STORY COURTESY USROWING

Sophia Luwis won a silver medal in the lightweight women’s single sculls and seven U.S. crews won their semifinals Saturday at World Rowing Cup II in Varese, Italy. Three additional crews advanced out of the semifinals today, giving the U.S. 10 boats racing in Sunday’s finals.

After winning her heat on Friday, Luwis (McLean, Va./The College of William & Mary/Whitemarsh Boat Club) came back to win the silver medal in Saturday’s final behind France’s Aurelie Morizot. The Frenchwoman got off the line quickly, establishing a half-boat lead over Great Britain’s Olivia Bates in the first 500 meters of the race, with Luwis sitting a half-length behind Bates. Morizot extended her advantage during the middle 1,000 meters, grabbing an open-water lead at one point. As the scullers reached the 500-meter mark, Bates made her move, cutting Morizot’s advantage back to a half-length before Morizot was able to respond and walk away from Bates. Luwis chased down Bates in the final 250 meters to claim the silver medal, while the British sculler held on for bronze. Morizot won the race in a 7:46.90, with Luwis finishing in a 7:50.16. Bates clocked a 7:50.84.

Both U.S. women’s pairs advanced to the medal race. Racing in the first of two semifinals, Alie Rusher (West Bend, Wis./Stanford University/California Rowing Club) and Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y./Ithaca College/California Rowing Club) led from the start, clocking a 6:58.26 to take the victory. Rusher, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, and Musnicki, a three-time Olympian, grabbed the early lead over Spain and had built their advantage to over three seconds at the midway point of the race. Spain tried to close the gap in the final 500 meters, but the U.S. duo kept a comfortable advantage, winning by 1.70 seconds. Spain finished in a 6:59.96, with Germany claiming the other spot in the final.

“Alie and I had a solid race today,” Musnicki said. “Our goal going into this world cup has been to improve from race to race, identify specific areas we can work on, and dial it in for the next race. I feel comfortable speaking for both of us when I say lining up on the international circuit in a pair together is not something we would have predicted had you asked us six months ago. We’re out there having fun, doing what we love, and putting our best foot forward to see how we end up. I’m definitely looking forward to the final tomorrow. We will talk with (coach) Skip (Kielt), perhaps make some minor adjustments to our race plan, but really, it all comes down to capitalizing on one more opportunity to race together and gain experience for the future.”

In the second semifinal of the women’s pair, Jessica Thoennes (Highlands Ranch, Colo./University of Washington/USRowing Training Center- Princeton) and Charlotte Buck (Nyack, N.Y./Columbia University/USRowing Training Center- Princeton) finished second behind Australia to earn a spot in the final. Thoeness and Buck sat in third place behind Australia and Great Britain through the 1,000-meter mark before passing the British boat in the third quarter of the race. Australia won the race in a 6:51.32, with the U.S. taking second in a 6:59.50. Great Britain held on for the third and final qualifying spot for tomorrow’s final.

The U.S. finished first and third in the first semifinal of the women’s double sculls, with both boats moving on to the final. Kristi Wagner (Weston, Mass/Yale University/ARION) and Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wisc./University of Wisconsin/Texas Rowing Center), who finished fifth in the event at last year’s world championships, got off the line in second place behind France and were basically even with the French boat at the halfway point. Wagner and Vitas established their lead in the third 500 meters before crossing the line just over one second ahead of France. After getting off the line in fourth position, the second U.S. boat of Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, R.I./Princeton University/Cambridge Boat Club) and Lauren O’Connor (Belleville, Wis./University of Wisconsin/ARION) moved into third during the second quarter of the race and maintained that spot the rest of the way down the course. Wagner and Vitas finished with a time of 6:43.75, with France taking second in a 6:44.81. Kallfelz and O’Connor crossed the line in a 6:45.89. The three crews will take on two Chinese boats and Australia in the final.

Less than two hours later, the four U.S. scullers came back to race in the second repechage of the women’s quadruple sculls. Unfortunately, the crew came up a half-length short and now will race in the B final on Sunday. The U.S. got off the line in fourth position before moving into third in the second half of the race. Italy held the advantage through the middle 1,000 meters. Germany made its charge in the final 500 meters, with the U.S. trying to go with the German crew. At the line, Germany had inched ahead of Italy to win the race by a foot in a time of 6:14.31. The U.S. crossed in a 6:15.54 and now will face Australia, Canada, China, and Norway in the B final.

After winning their heat yesterday, the U.S. men’s double sculls combination of Sorin Koszyk (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Cornell University/California Rowing Club) and Ben Davison (Inverness, Fla./University of Washington/California Rowing Club) came back to win the second of two semifinals to advance to the race for the medals. Koszyk and Davison took the lead in the first quarter of the race and continued to walk away from the rest of the field in the middle 1,000 meters, taking a lead of almost four seconds into the final stretch. At the line, the U.S. boat had clocked a 6:06.80 to win by nearly three seconds. Italy finished second, followed by the Czech Republic. Italy’s top boat won the first semifinal in a 6:07.76, with China and Australia earning the other spots in the final.

“We had a good race today,” Davison said. “We are still a new combination, so the goal coming into the regatta was just to keep improving with each race. We are excited to keep building in the final tomorrow and have a complete piece.”

Molly Bruggeman (Dayton, Ohio/University of Notre Dame/USRowing Training Center Princeton), Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Conn./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center Princeton), Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wis./University of Wisconsin at Madison/USRowing Training Center Princeton), and Claire Collins (McLean, Va./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center Princeton) won the second semifinal of the women’s four to advance to the final. Canada’s top boat took the lead off the line, but the U.S. pulled into the top spot during the second 500 meters, building a 1.62-second lead on Denmark at the midway point. The U.S. extended its advantage during the third 500 before cruising to a 1.60-second victory. The U.S. finished with a time of 6:19.82, with Denmark taking second in a 6:21.42. Canada’ second entry finished third to move on to the final. Australia won the first semifinal in a 6:19.41, just ahead of Great Britain’s time of 6:19.76, setting up what should be a tight race with the U.S. in tomorrow’s final. China secured the remaining spot in the final.

Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pa./Cornell University/California Rowing Club), Nick Mead (Strafford, Pa./Princeton University/New York Athletic Club), Chris Carlson (Bedford, N.H./University of Washington/California Rowing Club), and Liam Corrigan (Old Lyme, Conn./Harvard University/California Rowing Club) held off a late charge from France to win the second semifinal of the men’s four. The U.S. boat sat in fourth position after 500 meters but moved into the top spot as the boats hit the halfway point. The U.S. inched out a little bit more in the third 500 meters before France made its push. At the line, the U.S. crossed in a 5:48.10, just 0.31 seconds ahead of France. China took third, just ahead of Switzerland. Great Britain won the first semifinal in a 5:45.30, with Australia and Italy also qualifying for the final.

Women’s single sculler Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley/Texas Rowing Center), the 2019 World Rowing Championships bronze medalist in the event, won her semifinal to advance to tomorrow’s final. Kohler sat in fifth position before moving into first at the 1,000-meter mark. Kohler continued to build on her advantage over the third quarter of the race before Australia’s Tara Rigney made a small push in the final stretch. Kohler won the race in a 7:20.41, finishing 2.29 seconds ahead of Rigney. The Czech Republic’s Anna Santruckova finished third. China’s Ruiqi Liu won the first semifinal in a 7:20.81, with Germany’s Alexandra Foester taking second and Azerbaijan’s Diana Dymchenko taking third. Those six scullers will face off in tomorrow’s final.

Defending world championships’ silver medalists Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif./University of Tulsa/ USRowing Training Center – Princeton) and Molly Reckford (Short Hills, N.J./Dartmouth College/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) dominated the second semifinal of the lightweight women’s double sculls to advance to tomorrow’s final. The U.S. held a slight advantage over Canada at the 500-meter mark before methodically rowing away from the field over the rest of the race. At the line, Sechser and Reckford posted a time of 6:43.37, finishing 5.52 seconds ahead of Canada. Italy finished third. Great Britain’s Emily Craig and Imogen Grant, who won the gold medal at last year’s world championships, won the first semifinal in a 6:40.47, with France taking second and China finishing third. The second U.S. crew of Audrey Boersen (West Olive, Mich./Grand Valley State University/Whitemarsh Boat Club) and Mary Jones Nabel (Huntsville, Ala./University of Tennessee/Cambridge Boat Club) finished fourth in the first semi and will now race in the B final. Boersen and Jones Nabel clocked a 6:49.92.

The men’s pair of Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pa./Drexel University/California Rowing Club) and Pieter Quinton (Portland, Ore./Harvard University/California Rowing Club) finished third in the first semifinal to advance to tomorrow’s final. Best and Quinton got off the line in second position behind Switzerland before Australia settled into second as the boats approached the midway point. The U.S. pair rowed comfortably in third the rest of the way down the course, securing a spot in the final. Switzerland won the race in a 6:22.51, with Australia taking second in a 6:25.49. Best and Quinton crossed the line in a 6:28.24. In the second semifinal, Andrew Gaard (Madison, Wis/University of Washington/California Rowing Club) and Oliver Bub (Westport, Conn./Dartmouth College/California Rowing Club) just missed a spot in the final, finishing fourth. Gaard and Bub got off the line in sixth place but were able to work their way back into third position with just 500 meters to go. However, Croatia, who had sat in third for the first 1,000 meters, regrouped and was able to pass the U.S. boat in the final sprint. Great Britain won the race in a 6:21.98, with the Netherlands taking second in a 6:23.58. Croatia clocked a 6:25.03, with Gaard and Bub finishing in a 6:26.62. Gaard and Bub will race in the B final against Germany, China, Denmark, Poland, and Italy. Best and Quinton will race for the medals against Switzerland, Australia, Great Britain, Netherlands, and Croatia.

Andrew Mangan (Buffalo, N.Y./Stanford University/West Side Rowing Club/Bair Island Aquatic Center) finished fourth in the second of two repechages and will now race in the B final for overall places 7-12. Mangan sat in fourth position the entire way down the course. Israel’s Shmuel Daniel won the race in a 9:11.98, with Brazil’s Rene Campos Pereira taking the other qualifying spot for the A final in a 9:26.63. Mangan finished with a time of 9:54.22 and will take on Ukraine, Mexico, Italy, and two scullers from Poland in the B final.

The U.S. lightweight men’s double sculls crews finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the first semifinal and now will race in tomorrow’s B final. While both crews stayed in contention for a spot in the medal race, neither was able crack into the top three positions. China’s top boat held the lead through the 1,500-meter mark before Italy caught them at the line. China’s second boat finished third. Jimmy McCullough (Philadelphia, Pa./University of Delaware/Texas Rowing Center) and Sam Melvin (Huntington Beach, Calif./Columbia University/New York Athletic Club) battled teammates Jasper Liu (Phoenix, Ariz./University of Pennsylvania/Texas Rowing Center) and Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia/Texas Rowing Center) for fourth the length of the course, finishing with a time of 6:15.86, just 0.13 seconds ahead of their U.S. teammates. Italy won the race in a 6:12.51. The two U.S. boats will race against Australia, Belgium, and Japan in the B final.

Racing in the C final of the men’s single sculls, Jacob Plihal (Vashon Island, Wash./Northeastern University/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) bested Andrew LeRoux (Venice, Fla./Princeton University/California Rowing Club) by 0.39 seconds to win the race in a 6:50.59 to finish 13^th overall. Plihal got off the line in fourth position behind Norway’s Kjetil Borch, Sweden’s Eskil Borgh, and LeRoux. Borch continued to lead at the halfway point, with Plihal moving into second and LeRoux dropping to fourth. Both U.S. scullers made their moves in the third 500 meters, pulling into the top two spots as they entered the final quarter of the race. Plihal was able to hold off LeRoux at the line to earn the victory. LeRoux clocked a 6:50.98 to finish 14^th overall.

More than 650 athletes from 42 nations are competing in Varese. Racing concludes on Sunday with finals in Olympic and Paralympic boat classes. The live race tracker and live audio will be available for all races on www.worldrowing.com. Live video streaming will be available on the World Rowing website on Sunday from 10 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. CET. The video streaming will start five minutes before the first race.

Full event coverage will be available on USRowing.org and WorldRowing.com.

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 Center.

USRowing also would like to thank the Head Of The Charles Regatta, the official sponsor of the U.S. men’s and women’s pairs at World Rowing Cup II.

PHOTO AND STORY COURTESY USROWING

The U.S. is off to a strong start at World Rowing Cup II in Varese, Italy, with 15 boats advancing to either finals or semifinals on Friday.

The U.S started hot this morning with Sophia Luwis (McLean, Va./The College of William & Mary/Whitemarsh Boat Club) winning her heat in the lightweight women’s single sculls. Racing in the second of two heats, Luwis finished with a time of 7:34:38, with the French sculler Aurelie Morizot following in a 7:43:14. Luwis held the lead throughout the race, taking nearly a three-second advantage at the 500-meter mark. Luwis will race the final tomorrow. Great Britain’s Olivia Bates won the first heat, clocking a 7:39.99 to finish ahead of Germany’s Julia Tertuente.

U.S. crews finished one-two in the first heat of the men’s pair with both boats moving on to the semifinals. Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pa./Drexel University/California Rowing Club) and Pieter Quinton (Portland, Ore./Harvard University/California Rowing Club) won the race with a time of 6:27.65. Andrew Gaard (Madison, Wis/University of Washington/California Rowing Club) and Oliver Bub (Westport, Conn./Dartmouth College/California Rowing Club) took second in a 6:30.28 to send both crews to the semifinals. Best and Quinton took the early lead in the first 500 meters and continued to build on their advantage through the 1,500-meter mark. Meanwhile, Gaard and Bub got off the line in fifth position before chasing down China and Italy in the final 500 meters to earn the second qualification spot in the semifinals.

The U.S. finished first and third in the third heat of the women’s double sculls, with both boats moving on to the semifinals. Kristina Wagner (Weston, Mass/Yale University/ARION) and Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wisc./University of Wisconsin/Texas Rowing Center), who finished fifth in the event at last year’s world championships, won the race in a 6:44.57. Wagner and Vitas sat in second place behind China for much of the race. The duo cut the lead to just a bow ball with 500 meters to go before edging out the Chinese crew by 0.29 seconds at the line. The crew of Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, R.I./Princeton University/Cambridge Boat Club) and Lauren O’Connor (Belleville, Wis./University of Wisconsin/ARION) finished third in a 6:54.21.

The four U.S. scullers came back a couple of hours later to race in the women’s quadruple sculls, finishing second to move on to tomorrow’s repechage. O’Connor, Wagner, Vitas, and Kallfelz got off the line in third position before moving into second place during the second quarter of the race. However, they were never able to challenge Great Britain for the lone qualification spot in Sunday’s final. Great Britain won the race in a 6:12.19, with the U.S. finishing in a 6:17.09.

The U.S. men’s double sculls combination of Sorin Koszyk (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Cornell University/California Rowing Club) and Ben Davison (Inverness, Fla./University of Washington/California Rowing Club) also won its heat to advance to the semifinals. Racing in the third and final heat, Koszyk and Davison took the lead in the first 500 meters and then pulled away from the field to win the race in a 6:08.83. Koszyk and Davison posted the best time from the three heats by more than seven seconds.

The U.S. women’s four of Molly Bruggeman (Dayton, Ohio/University of Notre Dame/USRowing Training Center Princeton), Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Conn./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center Princeton), Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wis./University of Wisconsin at Madison/USRowing Training Center Princeton), and Claire Collins (McLean, Va./Princeton University/USRowing Training Center Princeton) also posted the fastest time of the day in winning the third of three heats. The U.S boat was basically even with Great Britain as the crews hit the 500-meter mark and the two crews were still within about a half-second of each other as they reached the midway point of the race. But the U.S. pulled away over the back half of the race to win with a time of 6:22.55. Great Britain finished second in a 6:28.20, with Italy taking third.

Defending world rowing championships’ silver medalists Michelle Sechser (Folsom, Calif./University of Tulsa/ USRowing Training Center – Princeton) and Molly Reckford (Short Hills, N.J./Dartmouth College/USRowing Training Center – Princeton) won their heat of the lightweight women’s double sculls by more than five seconds. China’s Jiaqi Zou and Xiuping Qiu kept the race close for the first 500 meters before the U.S. boat was able to get some separation. Sechser and Reckford moved on to the semifinals with the victory. The second lightweight women’s double sculls crew of Audrey Boersen (West Olive, Mich./Grand Valley State University/Whitemarsh Boat Club) and Mary Jones Nabel (Huntsville, Ala./University of Tennessee/Cambridge Boat Club) finished second in its repechage to move on to the semifinals. After finishing third in their morning heat, Boersen and Jones Nabel came back to take second behind Italy in the rep. The U.S. boat finished with a time of 7:01.90, finishing 3.49 seconds in back of Italy.

The two U.S. women’s pairs finished second and third in the second of three heats, with both advancing to the semifinals. Alie Rusher (West Bend, Wis./Stanford University/California Rowing Club) and Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y./Ithaca College/California Rowing Club) took second behind Australia’s Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre. The Australian crew shot off of the starting line to take a commanding lead in the first 500 meters and were never challenged for the top position. Rusher and Musnicki sat in second the entire way down the course, with Jessica Thoennes (Highlands Ranch, Colo./University of Washington/USRowing Training Center- Princeton) and Charlotte Buck (Nyack, N.Y./Columbia University/USRowing Training Center- Princeton) staking claim to the third qualifying spot during the first 1,000 meters. Morrison and McIntyre won the race in a 6:59.29, with Rusher and Musnicki crossing the line in a 7:03.77. Thoennes and Buck clocked a 7:08.26.

The U.S. men’s four of Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pa./Cornell University/California Rowing Club), Nick Mead (Strafford, Pa./Princeton University/New York Athletic Club), Chris Carlson (Bedford, N.H./University of Washington/California Rowing Club), and Liam Corrigan (Old Lyme, Conn./Harvard University/California Rowing Club) advanced to the semifinals thanks to a second-pace finish in the first of three heats. The U.S. battled Australia the entire way down the course, finishing less than one second behind the Aussie boat. Australia won the race in a 5:46.50, with the U.S. finishing in a 5:47.38.

Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif./University of California, Berkeley/Texas Rowing Center) advanced to the semifinals of the women’s single sculls thanks to a second-place finish in the first of four heats. Kohler, the 2019 World Rowing Championships bronze medalist in the event, finished less than one second behind Germany’s Alexandra Foester. Kohler held more than a two-second advantage through the middle 1,000 meters before Foester was able to catch her during the sprint.

Both U.S. lightweight men’s double sculls crews advanced from the heats to the semifinals on Friday. The crew of Jasper Liu (Phoenix, Ariz./University of Pennsylvania/Texas Rowing Center) and Zachary Heese (Pelham, N.Y./University of Virginia/Texas Rowing Center) finished third in the second of three heats. Italy took the early lead and then held on as Belgium and the U.S. tried to chase them down over the final 500 meters. The Italian crew won the race in a 6:15.80, with Belgium finishing second in a 6:16.77. The U.S. finished with a time of 6:17.05. In the third heat, James McCullough (Philadelphia, Pa./University of Delaware/Texas Rowing Center) and Sam Melvin (Huntington Beach, Calif./Columbia University/New York Athletic Club) finished second behind Switzerland. The Swiss crew moved into the top spot ahead of Australia in the second 500 meters. With three to advance, McCullough and Melvin sat in fourth position through the midway point before overtaking China and then Australia for second place. Switzerland finished with a time of 6:10.86, with the U.S. clocking a 6:16.31.

Both U.S. men’s single scullers, Jacob Plihal (Vashon Island, Wash./Northeastern University/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Andrew LeRoux (Venice, Fla./Princeton University/California Rowing Club), will be racing in the C finals after racing in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon. Both men finished second in their respective heats on Friday morning to earn spots in the quarterfinals. In afternoon racing, Plihal finished fourth in the third quarterfinal, clocking a 6:59.86. Denmark’s Sverri Nielsen won the race in a 6:49.80. LeRoux finished fifth in the fourth quarterfinal, finishing with a time of 7:02.72. Japan’s Ryuta Arakawa won the race in a 6:52.68.

Andrew Mangan (Buffalo, N.Y./Stanford University/West Side Rowing Club/Bair Island Aquatic Center) came in fifth in the second heat of the PR1 men’s single sculls. Mangan now will race in tomorrow’s repechages. With just one to advance to the final, Mangan dropped off the pace early, settling into fifth position. Mangan finished with a time of 10:22.11. Italy’s Giacomo Perini won the race in a 9:09.35.

More than 650 athletes from 42 nations are competing in Varese. The remaining repechages, semifinals, some placement finals, and finals in non-Olympic and non-Paralympic events will be featured on Saturday, with finals in Olympic and Paralympic boat classes taking place on Sunday.

The live race tracker and live audio will be available for all races on www.worldrowing.com. Live video streaming will be available on the World Rowing website on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. CET until 1:35 p.m. CET and from 3:20-4:50 p.m. CET. On Sunday, live video streaming will be available from 10 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. CET. The video streaming will start five minutes before the first race.

Full event coverage will be available on USRowing.org and WorldRowing.com.

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 Center.