"VAN" (Sports Desk - 24.07.2026) :: The 2026 World Rowing Under 23 Championships opened in Duisburg, Germany on Thursday with a packed day of exciting racing to qualify crews for finals and semifinals.
In fairly cool conditions with an occasionally challenging headwind blowing down the course, times were not fast – but the racing lived up to expectations with plenty of close contests for the crucial qualifying positions for the next round.
There were no major surprises with all reigning champions competing progressing safely to their respective finals, although times from the heats suggest there will be several 2025 gold medallists who will have a challenge to defend their titles.
Great Britain topped the 2025 medal table with four gold medals and all their boats are still in the medal hunt in Duisburg too, with the under 23 men’s pair, women’s four, men’s quadruple scull and men’s eight all posting the fastest heat times of the day.
Hosts Germany had a slightly mixed day, with several crews showing they are more than quick enough to contend for medals but others relegated to minor finals.
The under 23 men’s double sculls was the event with the biggest entry; 12 of the 24 crews racing would be eliminated from medal contention through the heats. Belgium were lucky to make it through by finishing second in their race, while Brazil, France and Poland missed out despite posting faster times than the Belgians.
The narrowest margin separating a crew qualifying for the semifinals from the fastest non-qualifier was 0.49 seconds. Australia’s Sarah Bourke and Czechia’s Ella Boldisova posted identical times in the heats of the under 23 women’s single sculls, 8:26.51, while Latvia’s Evija Freimane missed out with 8:27.00.
There were also some impressive performances from some of the regatta’s youngest competitors. In the under 23 women’s double sculls, Tatiana Cherkosova and Aleksandra Grigoreva (AIN2), who are both 16 years old, won their heat; in the PR3 under 23 men’s single sculls 16-year-olds Akbarali Abduvaliev (UZB) and Erwan Chamouleau (FRA) both raced mature races in their preliminary contest.
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