Finalists Confirmed at 2023 World Rowing Coastal Championships

Just a few days after the curtain came down on an amazing World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, the 2023 World Rowing Coastal Championships got underway in Barletta, Italy.

Following a series of dramatic heats, the line-ups for the finals are now set. While three B Finals took place in Barletta this afternoon, Saturday 7 October, the remainder will take place tomorrow morning ahead of the A Finals, where crews from around the world will race for medals.

The start lists for the finals include a mix of seasoned coastal rowers, flat-water Olympians and newcomers for what should be an epic series of races across the seven boat classes.

First to race for medals will be the women’s solo, where we will see the gold and silver medallists from 2022 go head-to-head once again. Jessica Berra (FRA01, Endaika Arraun Elkartea) is the reigning Champion, while Diana Dymchenko (AZE01, Baku RC) will be hoping to improve on silver. They’ll need to keep an eye out for Monika Dukarska (IRL01, Killorglin Rowing Club) and Clare Jamison (Mumbles ARS, GBR01) who finished first and second respectively in their heat.

In the men’s solo, Adrian Miramon Quiroga of Wicklow Rowing Club (IRL03) is the reigning champion, but only managed fourth in his heat. Charles Cousins of Mumbles Amateur RC (GBR03) posted the fastest time across the heats, although conditions weren’t consistent. Cousins and Jamison will join forces in the mixed double sculls, where they’ll come up against strong composites from France and Ireland, who won the other two heats.

Two familiar names from Austria clocked the fastest time in the second heat of the women’s double sculls; sisters Katharina and Magdalena Lobnig have often been seen in the same boat class on flat water, but this was their first World Rowing Coastal Championship racing together, and tomorrow they’ll be challenging for a medal. However, reigning champions from the Netherlands, Janneke van der Meulen and Karien Robbers, were chasing them all of the way in the heat and are likely to pile on the pressure tomorrow.

The home supporters are hoping for a win in the men’s quadruple sculls. Rowing Club Genovese dominated their heat and will be hoping to overcome Club Remo Torrevieja (ESP01) who won the other heat.

Racing will start at 08:00 CET with the four B-Finals before the A-Finals get underway at 10:00 CET. The A-Finals will be broadcast live on worldrowing.com, where you can also find results, reactions, and photos of all of the racing.