"VAN" (Sports Desk - 15.06.2025) :: Saturday’s racing at the 2025 World Rowing Cup in Varese, Italy, saw a raft of historic markers set, including a world best time, a first-ever World Rowing Cup gold medal for Uruguay, and the first-ever running of the mixed eight at an international event.
The world best time came in the PR3 men’s pair final, where French Paralympic bronze medallist Gregoire Bireau and experienced Olympian and Paralympian Laurent Cadot stormed to a win, breaking Cadot’s own record by three seconds to set a new marker of 6:49.85.
Felipe Kluver won a first-ever World Rowing Cup gold medal for Uruguay as he won the lightweight men’s single sculls ahead of Hin Chun Chiu, who had done the same for Hong Kong China last year. Kluver said the medal was particularly sweet given the fact he had won gold at the 2022 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, also in Varese.
In the lightweight women’s single sculls, Mexico’s Kenia Lechuga stood on top of the World Rowing podium for the first time in her career, after previously winning silver at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and a World Rowing Cup bronze last season.
Tiarnan O’Donnell made it a trio of first-time World Rowing Cup winners with gold in the PR2 men’s single sculls for Ireland, setting a personal best time in the process.
The day’s racing ended with the first running of the mixed eight at an international regatta. The test race was won by the USA in a close battle with Germany, heralding an exciting future for this boat class at future World Rowing Cups and World Rowing Championships.
Germany picked up gold in the PR3 mixed double sculls, where Paralympic bronze medallists Jan Helmich and Hermine Krumbein sculled a strong race to beat Australia, as well as the PR2 women’s single sculls.
Brazil won the PR3 mixed coxed four in a strong performance to beat the USA, as well as the PR2 mixed double sculls.
The day also saw semifinals in a number of boat classes, setting up exciting A-finals for the concluding day of racing.
The World Rowing Cup concludes on Sunday 15 June with minor finals from 10:00 CEST, followed by 14 A-finals in Para-rowing and Olympic events.
Responses
Leave your comment