History Made at the 2024 World Rowing Senior, U23, and U19 Championships

The penultimate day of racing at the 2024 World Rowing Senior, Under 23 and Under 19 Championships on Martindale Pond saw the finals of the senior boat classes. Across the six boat classes, 11 nations picked up medals with all six titles going to different nations.

The first 2024 World Rowing Champions to be crowned on Saturday 24 August were in the PR3 men’s pair when Luca Conti and Igor Zappa of Italy got out fast and continued to open up their lead over Japan.

The finals of the lightweight single sculls were absolutely stacked – with Paris 2024 Olympians, and reigning World Champions.

In the lightweight women’s single sculls, it was a wonderful finish to the international career for Ionela Cozmiuc of Romania. Having won silver in Paris just a few weeks ago in the lightweight women’s double sculls, Cozmiuc announced this would be her last international race, and she will now retire as a World Champion. Silver went to Zoi Fitsiou of Greece, and last year’s World Champion, Ireland’s Siobhan McCrohan, took bronze.

The lightweight men’s single sculls was equally as epic. Eyes were on Italy’s Niels Torre after he had set a new World Best Time earlier in the week, but it was Greece’s Antonios Papakonstantinou that got out fast and led for more than half of the race. However, the double Olympic Champion from Ireland, Paul O’Donovan was on a mission. O’Donovan worked his way through the field and added another World Champion title to his incredible record.

The lightweight pairs were filled with history. In the women’s event, it was domination for Poland’s Jessika Sobocinska and Katarzyna Welna with a new World Best Time and World Championship Best Time, but it was history for Peru who took silver – their second World Championship medal. It was gold for Austrian’s Konrad Hultsch and Paul Ruttmann in the lightweight men’s pair with Paraguay making history when they claimed silver – a first World Championship medal for the nation.

More history was made in the last race of the day when Mexico sculled to a win in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls, the first ever World Championship title for the nation.

Sunday 25 August is the last day of racing in St Catharines, Canada, and will be dedicated to the U19 boat classes. Racing will start at 09:35 EST and the medal finals will commence at 11:30 EST and run through until 14:55.

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