The time has come for current college rowers to decide whether they’re all in for a bid to race at the 2024 Paris Games. 

“This early-summer selection camp is like the penultimate, and then the [fall] speed order is the final entry point for people who want to be considered,” said USRowing Chief High Performance Officer Josy Verdonkschot from California, where he’s preparing non-collegiate athletes for World Rowing Cup II, which will take place in Varese, Italy, from June 16 to 18. They’ll head to Europe to train for a couple of weeks before the World Cup, stay a week afterward to continue training, and then return to Princeton and Lake Mercer for selection camp and trials July 27 to 30 on Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J.

The rowers from the core group training under Verdonkschot are preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympics differently than previous U.S. National Teams. Verdonkschot has been very clear about his strategy of seeing which Olympic events present the best opportunity for the U.S. to medal, and putting his best rowers in those boats to qualify the U.S. in those events for the Olympics at this year’s world championships. Boats that don’t earn Olympic spots at the 2023 World Rowing Championships must go through the last-chance qualifying regatta in May 2024.

“Anybody who would want to go to the Olympics has to make the decision to take one year off of their studies, basically, because final qualification would be in May. Selection for the final lineups would be March and at the beginning of April,” said Verdonkschot. “So you cannot do that. You cannot wait until the end of the collegiate season.”

U.S. collegiate rowers have long been the staple feedstock of medal-winning Olympic crews—and most of those have been eights. Five of the eight oarsmen in the last U.S. men’s crew to win Olympic gold learned to row in college, and practically every member of the various U.S. women’s eights that won every world championship and Olympics for 11 years rowed in an NCAA program before representing the U.S.

Verdonkschot ruffled the feathers of some coaches during Zoom calls with the U.S. college community when the new boss of the U.S. National Team arrived in America. The Dutchman’s frank and blunt style irked some on those calls, who didn’t appreciate Verdonkschot’s observation that U.S. collegiate programs do little to prepare their athletes for sculling and small-boat rowing—which are 10 of the 14 Olympic events. Of course, that’s not a college coach’s job. Their athletic departments hire and pay them to coach and prepare student-athletes to compete in their school’s collegiate events, raced almost exclusively in eights and coxed fours.

U.S. college coaches are also used to the regular communication and collaboration of Verdonkschot’s predecessors, including Mike Teti, Tom Terhaar, and Kris Korzeniowski, all of whom coached U.S. collegiate programs before becoming U.S. National Team leaders. Verdonkschot has taken a different approach. “Never heard from him,” said one coach of a program that has produced dozens of recent national team and Olympic rowers, more than a year after Verdonkschot assumed his post at USRowing.

But Verdonkschot is not in the U.S. for the benefit of U.S. collegiate rowing—the top end of which is mostly bereft of U.S. citizens eligible to represent the U.S.—even if he alienates it to his disadvantage. He’s taken on the challenge of putting U.S. crews on the podium, not “all kinds of eighth places,” as he recently put it. “I’m the CEO for high performance. Simple as that. So I’m in charge of the plan,” he said in an exclusive Rowing News interview when he first came to the U.S.

So far, Verdonkschot seems to like how the plan is progressing, and the numbers support him. Numerous rowers posted significantly improved erg times leading up to the winter speed order in Florida at Nathan Benderson Park, where they also went fast on the water in small boats. California Rowing Club is responsible for the improvement of most of the top men, and Verdonkschot has made room for them in his plans and made accommodations for their West Coast schedules in the winter training camp at Benderson. At the most recent National Selection Regatta, April 24 to 28 in Chula Vista, Calif., “I was happy with the result. I was happy with the percentages,” said Verdonkschot. “For the rest, we’ll see what comes out of it, because we need to know what our best options would be. Looking at sculling—single, double, quad—what you would want to know is how to prioritize, and that’s a white canvas.”

It’s not that prior Olympic coaches haven’t aimed for the best opportunities for U.S. crews or that the eight has always been the priority boat—the four has been, in some recent Olympics—but never have sculling events and going to Europe to test them been the focus of Olympic preparation, as Verdonkschot is now making them.

The USRowing board and staff leadership set the bar low for success in Paris 2024 by bungling preparations for the last Olympics so badly that no medals were won by the U.S., with both eights finishing fourth, each less than one percent out of the medals. Their coaches had dealt with the concurrent challenges of preparing for the Olympics and being the subject of inquires by law firm Arent Fox, which was brought in to answer complaints about how selection and training were run—a distraction that USRowing CEO Amanda Kraus told Rowing News at the time “we welcome.”

More recently, in her May letter to USRowing members, Kraus crowed about receiving a formal letter from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) stating that USRowing has addressed all the issues found in the yearlong assessment begun during preparations for the Tokyo Games. How many professionals, not just coaches, wouldn’t be at least one percent less effective with someone looking over their shoulder—the situation faced by the prior Olympic coaches?

Now, just winning a medal of any color in any of the 14 Olympic events will be a success for Verdonkschot, who was hired by Kraus relatively late in the current Olympic cycle, which was shortened by the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games.

In multiple conversations, both on and off the record, Verdonkschot has not once mentioned the compressed schedule as an excuse. He also won’t take the bait of inquiries implying that his program is underfunded. “I do not agree,” he responded flatly to a question about not having enough money. 

“USOPC has committed to the same number that they did in the past, and I have committed to a certain level of support for everybody. Not based upon the money we have, but based upon the level they perform. So there’s a group of about 50 athletes right now who receive direct athlete support based upon results at Worlds. This group—obviously there will be people who might drop out or who come in—those people get a level of support that is maybe not what you would want. But let’s say $2,000 a month for everybody who was in the finals last year or top seven or top eight last year in a smaller boat is better than it was in the past. That’s the level that we want to guarantee to the athletes. It’s performance-based and, yeah, I run into a deficit, and that’s why we work very hard to find funding.”

Verdonkschot puts the total cost of supporting an athlete this year at $50,000, half for costs like travel and equipment and half paid as direct athlete support. “That is quite a change compared to the past,” he said. “We are very happy that we’ve got the support of USOPC. We are very happy that we’ve got the support of NRF [the National Rowing Foundation] and the USRowing Foundation, which is also going to be a bigger player in how we can fund everything.

“We cannot pretend that we run a program and not have the means to provide for that program,” continued Verdonkschot. “We’ve got a spring grant from NRF, which was substantial, 400K. There might be a second part to that. Last year, I ran into a deficit with the athlete stipends. We knew that we would run into the deficit and I spoke with NRF to bridge the gap. 

“I do think that there’s a lot of good people out there who understand that we just do what we need to do, and they have got this dream, and we’ve got this dream, and you just do what you need to do. If we need to get the money, we’ll get the money.

“I do not make any compromises about the program.”

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Coaches coach every moment they’re with their athletes. Messages are sent and received, whether purposeful or not, subtle or overt. The greatest coaching impact occurs when emotions run high following racing.

Regardless of the outcome, well-chosen words and actions from a coach help athletes prepare for and perform better in their next competition. Conversely, without thought, a coach’s behavior can dig an emotional hole that’s difficult for athletes to climb out of.

The race debrief following a victory is an often overlooked coaching opportunity. Many passively convey that it’s “business as usual, keep doing what you’re doing” after a win. This is a dangerous message.

In reality, a winning crew probably still needs to improve to reach the higher goals of success in bigger races.

Remind them how motivated the defeated crews will be to reverse the outcome. Keep focused on improvement, making sure to provide specific examples of what can improve and how collectively you’re going to address these shortcomings. There is dual confidence in winning today and knowing that with specific improvement the boat can go even faster.

The debrief following a disappointing loss is fraught with peril. Everyone feels raw, so above all else the coach must possess emotional control when addressing his or her athletes. The more disappointing the outcome, the more important it is to speak softly and calmly and without profanity. If they win, you can shout and swear all you want. Delay the debrief if necessary to gain composure.

Avoid singling an individual out for criticism, especially the coxswain. Publicly reprimanding one person can cause irreparable harm. If someone needs greater attention, give them feedback privately. Conversely, there is great benefit to praising a good effort or performance publicly. 

Be honest with the group. A negative appraisal should be delivered using inclusive language. A crew’s failure to perform is the coach’s responsibility as much as it is the athletes’. When they hear the coach accepting responsibility they will feel a greater sense of shared purpose and will more likely buy into what the coach wants done. 

The race debrief partially covers what just happened, but is more about moving forward. It’s the first act of the next campaign. As such, always end on an upbeat, optimistic note.

Let them know you have a plan for how to improve even if you don’t have specifics to share yet. It’s fine to feel disappointed for a time, but never let them feel defeated. A loss is not a defeat. Hopelessness and quitting are defeats.

The coach’s words and behavior can steer athletes away from these sentiments. Express confidence in your athletes’ ability to meet the next challenge—whether that’s how they prepare, what they can improve upon, how they race, or the actual outcome.

The post The Art of the Post-Row Debrief appeared first on Rowing News.

Four athletes have been named 2022 USRowing Under 19 Athletes of the Year.

Nora Goodwillie has been named the 2022 USRowing Under 19 National Team Female Athlete of the Year.

“I am so honored to receive this award and grateful to my coaches and teammates who voted for me,” Goodwillie said. “I was in the company of so many returners and incredibly competitive athletes – this is unexpected. I look up to the athletes who have previously received this recognition, so I’m just super grateful.”

Goodwillie stroked the women’s eight to a gold medal and a world championships’ best time at the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships in Varese, Italy.

Adam Casler, Travis O’Neil, and John Patton were selected as this year’s USRowing Under 19 National Team Male Athletes of the Year after a three-way tie. All three were a part of the men’s eight that won the bronze medal at the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships.

“I am very honored and grateful for this acknowledgment,” Casler said. “I couldn’t have asked for better teammates this summer, and the camaraderie we all had made the experience that much more meaningful. I am very glad I wasn’t the sole winner of this, though, because I believe John deserves this award just as much, if not more. He played a massive role, not only in the eight, but with the whole team creating a positive, energetic, and motivated atmosphere during both training and racing.”

“At the end of the day, it wasn’t any individual that made our summer successful, but it was the entire U19 team who brought dedication and hard work to every practice,” Patton said. “I’m proud of what this group was able to accomplish, considering how fast the field was in every event. As I heard repeatedly throughout the summer, you have to trust the process to form the best boat and team you can, and I believe everyone was able to do this. I’m thankful to have been a part of this team and am fortunate enough to be eligible for another summer with the U19 team to hopefully help with future success. I couldn’t ask for anything else, and it was an amazing experience.”

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Eight boats including the men’s and women’s straight four, coxed four, quad, and eight were named to the USRowing Under 19 national team July 12.

The crews selected join six other boats already named to the squad who were selected at the 2022 USRowing Under 19 National Team Trials in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida in June.

The 14 crews will race at the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships in Varese, Italy July 27-31. At the 2021 event, the United States picked four medals off the medal table and will be defending their gold-medal success in the women’s coxed four, men’s eight, women’s eight, as well as a bronze medal in the men’s single.

Here are the athletes named to the squad according to USRowing:

Name (Boat Position) (Hometown/Affiliation) 

(Lineups subject to change)

Men’s Quadruple Sculls

Ashton Perlroth (s) (Palo Alto, Calif./Redwood Scullers)
Walid Ghamra (3) (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Crew) 
Sam Dowd (2) (Omaha, Neb/Red Dog Rowing)
Timothy Parsons (b) (Eugene, Ore./South Eugene Rowing Club)

Women’s Quadruple Sculls

Heather Schmidt (s) (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna Rowing)
Cillian Mullen (3) (Batavia, Ill./Chicago Rowing Foundation)
Ava Schetlick (2) (Charlottesville, Va./Virginia Rowing Association)
Alice Dommer (b) (San Carlos, Calif./Redwood Scullers/PACJC)

Men’s Four

Josh Yin (s) (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis Rowing Club)
Oscar Patton (3) (Lincoln, Mass./Deerfield Academy)
Jack Skinner (2) (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier Rowing Club)
Davis Schroeder (b) (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center)

Women’s Four

Kennedy Housley (s) (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Crew)
Imogen Cabot (3) (Cambridge, Mass./The Winsor School)
Elsa Hartman (2) (Roseville, Calif./Capital Crew)
Samantha Smart (b) (Mill Valley, Calif./Marin Rowing Association)

Men’s Four with Coxswain

Elenna Seguin (c) (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich Crew)
William Deutchman (s) (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center)
William Jett (3) (San Carlos, Calif./Norcal Crew)
Charles Richards (2) (Winston Salem, N.C./Deerfield Academy Crew)
Andrew Wilkinson (b) (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Rowing Foundation)

Women’s Four with Coxswain

Ella Casano (c) (Fairfield, Conn./Saugatuck Rowing Club)
Sophia Greco (s) (Norwalk, Conn./Connecticut Boat Club)
Lindsey Brail (3) (New York, N.Y./ Pelham Community Rowing Association)
Annika Jeffery (2) (Portland, Ore./Rose City Rowing Club)
Ella Wheeler (b) (South Orange, N.J./Northfield Mount Hermon School)

Men’s Eight

Adam Casler (c) (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center)
John Patton (s) (Houston, Texas/Deerfield Academy)
Jordan Dykema (7) (Seattle, Wash.)
Travis O’Neil (6) (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center)
Drew Cavanaugh (5) (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich Crew)
Luke Smith (4) (Philadelphia, Pa./Hawk Rowing Club)
Owen Finnerty (3) (Ardmore, Pa./St. Joseph’s Preparatory School)
Davis Kelly (2) (Vashon Island, Wash./Burton Beach Rowing Club)
Kian Aminian (b) (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Aquatic Center)

Women’s Eight

Frances McKenzie (c) (Cos Cob, Ct./Greenwich Crew)
Nora Goodwillie (s) (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Rowing Foundation)
Sofia Simone (7) (Miami, Fla./Sarasota Crew)
Phoebe Wise (6) (Greenwich, Ct./Greenwich Crew)
Ellie Bijeau (5) (Washington, D.C./Wilson Crew)
Quincy Stone (4) (San Francisco, Calif./Marin Rowing Association)
Sarah Bradford (3) (Oconomowoc, Wis./Milwaukee Rowing Club)
Lily Pember (2) (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Rowing Foundation)
Eugenia Rodríguez-Vázquez (b) (A Coruña, Galicia, Spain/Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer) 

The post Camp-Selected Boats for 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships Announced by USRowing appeared first on Rowing News.

USRowing published its list of Under 19 National Team selection camp invitees June 28.

According to the NGB, invitees will compete for spots on USRowing’s Under 19 National Team in the men’s and women’s straight four, four with coxswain, quadruple sculls, and eight that will represent the U.S. at the 2022 World Rowing Under 19 Championships July 27-31 in Varese, Italy.

Here is the full list of invitees:

U19 Women’s Selection Camp Invitees
Maisy Ballantyne, Pacific Rowing Club
Carly Banker, Rose City Rowing Club
Eleanor Bijeau, Woodrow Wilson Sr. High School Crew
Sarah Bradford, The Milwaukee Rowing Club
Lindsey Brail, Pelham Community Rowing Association
Carly Brown, Detroit Boat Club Crew
Imogen Cabot, The Winsor School
Ella Casano, Saugatuck Rowing Club, LLC
Claudia Chadwick, Saugatuck Rowing Club, LLC
Joely Cherniss, Marin Rowing Association
Ilaria Costello, Redwood Scullers/PACJC
Sidney Curven, Northfield Mount Hermon School
Matilda Damon, Phillips Exeter Academy
Alice Dommer, Redwood Scullers/PACJC
Jennifer Dugdale, Mile High Rowing Club
Tiara Dye, Cathedral Catholic High School Crew
Elizabeth Enriquez, Row New Jersey
Alexandra Fazler, Moorestown High School Rowing Club
Isabella Furman, Saugatuck Rowing Club, LLC
Hope Gelfand, Holy Names Academy
Nora Goodwillie, Chicago Rowing Foundation
Elinor Graham, Sylvan Scullers
Sophia Greco, Connecticut Boat Club
Marin Clare Hadley, Atlanta Junior Rowing Association
Annabelle Harbold, Woodrow Wilson Sr. High School Crew
Elsa Hartman, Capital Crew
Annabelle Hermey, Row New Jersey
Kennedy Housley, Sarasota Crew
Evan Humphrey, Pocock Rowing Center
Annika Jeffery, Rose City Rowing Club
Savanna Jerome, San Diego Rowing Club
Charlotte Jett, Norcal Crew
Reilly Katz, Port Rowing
Shannon Kearney, Marina Aquatic Center Junior Rowing
Mia Khamish, Connecticut Boat Club
Emily Knapp, Connecticut Boat Club
Caroline Krantz, Connecticut Boat Club
Yana Krivosheeva, Sarasota Crew
Rachel Lande, Marina Aquatic Center
Ingrid Lofgren, The Milwaukee Rowing Club
Katherine Lord-Krause, Seattle Preparatory School
Francie McKenzie, Greenwich Crew
Natalie Meyer, Deerfield Academy Crew
Paris Miller, Indianapolis Rowing Center
Katherine Mote, Episcopal School of Dallas
Cillian Mullen, Chicago Rowing Foundation
Lila Nottage, Deerfield Academy Crew
Arielle Nusbaum, Row New Jersey
Katelyn Passino, Chicago Rowing Foundation
Caroline Pecore, Norcal Crew
Lily Pember, Chicago Rowing Foundation
Sydney Perry, Long Beach Junior Crew
Lauren Peters, Noble & Greenough School
Hannah Peters, Atomic Rowing
Olivia Petri, Redwood Scullers/PACJC
Claire Poremba, GMS Rowing Center
Cami Price, Vancouver Lake Rowing Club
Charlotte Pulkkinen, Phillips Exeter Academy
Katie Rapaglia, GMS Rowing Center
Sarah Rapaglia, GMS Rowing Center
Llian Riedel, Ridgewood Crew Foundation
Eugenia Rodriguez-Vazquez, Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer
Ashley Rohloff, Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer
Cate Sauer, Three Rivers Rowing Association
Ava Schetlick, University of Virginia Rowing Association
Heather Schmidt, Niskayuna Rowing
Lauren Eve Schramm, Saugatuck Rowing Club, LLC
Sofia Simone, Sarasota Crew
Samantha Smart, Marin Rowing Association
Eleanor Smith, RowAmerica Rye
Hannah Smith, East Grand Rapids Crew Team
Ruby Srinivasan, Newport Aquatic Center
Quincy Stone, Marin Rowing Association
Emily Tierney, Row New Jersey
Mary Claire Warren, Atlanta Junior Rowing Association
Ella Wheeler, Northfield Mount Hermon School
Lindsey Williams, St. Mary Academy- Bay View
Phoebe Wise, Greenwich Crew
Chloe Zollman, Newport Aquatic Center 

U19 Men’s Selection Camp Invitees
Nathanael Abrials, Gonzaga College High School Crew
Edward Achtner, Molesey Boat Club
David Albrechtskirchinger, Community Rowing, Inc.
Kannan Alford, New Trier High School Rowing
Kian Aminian, Newport Aquatic Center
Alek Balassa, New Trier High School Rowing
George Bentley, Saugatuck Rowing Club, LLC
Charles Boldt, Indianapolis Rowing Center
Cole Bruen, Albemarle High School
Ruffin Bryant, Brunswick School Boat Club
Couper Carpenter, Sarasota Crew
Adam Casler, Newport Aquatic Center
Andrew Cavanaugh, Greenwich Crew
Joshua Cigoianu, Princeton University
Luke Collins, Bainbridge Island Rowing
Henry Cooper, Pocock Rowing Center
Andre Culo, Marin Rowing Association
Jayden Dasher, St. Benedict’s Preparatory School
William Deutchman, Newport Aquatic Center
Reese DiBiase, Phillips Academy Andover
Sam Dowd, Red Dog Rowing
Jordan Dykema, Seattle Rowing Center
Owen Finnerty, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
Weelo Ghamra, Sarasota Crew
Nick Gonzalez, Long Beach Junior Crew
Michael Goodall, Chicago Rowing Foundation
Luke Helstrom, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
Weiyi Huang, Phillips Exeter Academy
Will Jett, Norcal Crew
Travis Jorgensen, Marin Rowing Association
Charlie Josephbek, Long Beach Junior Crew
Daniel Kelly, Niskayuna Rowing
Davis Kelly, Burton Beach Rowing Club
Jack Kiely, Saugatuck Rowing Club, LLC
Christian Lawrence, St. Louis Rowing Club
Logan Lewellen, OKC Riversport
Matthew Marks, Bedford Crew Club
William Mathes, Sarasota Crew
Cole Matlack, Community Rowing, Inc.
Grant McCurdy, Sarasota Crew
Reider McFeely, D.C. National Rowing Club
Owen McKenna, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
Colton Millar, Sarasota Crew
Ewan Morrow, Pocock Rowing Center
Fred Mulford, D.C. National Rowing Club
Ethan Nghiem, Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer
Travis O’Neil, Newport Aquatic Center
Timothy Parsons, South Eugene Rowing Club
John Patton, Deerfield Academy Crew
Oscar Patton, Deerfield Academy Crew
Ashton Perlroth, Redwood Scullers/PACJC
Carson Peterson, Lake Casitas Rowing Association
Tucker Poff, Wilmington Youth Rowing Association
Riley Putnam, Marina Aquatic Center
Rohan Radhakeesoon, Phillips Exeter Academy
Charles Richards, Deerfield Academy Crew
Cole Riedinger, New Trier High School Rowing
Bach Ryan, Marin Rowing Association
Max Ryan, Long Beach Junior Crew
Nick Ryan, Long Beach Junior Crew
John Salvi, New Trier High School Rowing
Giovanni Santaniello, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
Sandro Scalfi, Atlanta Junior Rowing Association
Davis Schroeder, Newport Aquatic Center
Caleb Schwartz, Community Rowing, Inc.
Elenna Seguin, Greenwich Crew
Noah Silverstein, New Trier High School Rowing
Jack Skinner, New Trier High School Rowing
Luke Smith, Hawk Rowing Club
Nicholas Smyth, Cincinnati Jr. Rowing Club, Inc.
Charles Talley, Capital Crew Boosters Club
Alessandro Topa, Woodrow Wilson Sr. High School Crew
Tristan Wakefield, Y Quad Cities Rowing
Paul Waxman, Walt Whitman Crew Boosters, Inc.
Alden Weaver, Undine Barge Club of Philadelphia
Augusten Wieners, Lake Casitas Rowing Association
Andrew Wilkinson, Chicago Rowing Foundation
Max Willott, Greenwich Crew
Max Wilson, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
Sam Wilson, Greenwich Crew
Brady Wojnovich, Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer
Joshua Yin, St. Louis Rowing Club 

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The United States had a strong showing at the 2022 World Rowing Cup II finishing the regatta with seven medals.

Michelle Sechser and Molly Reckford took the top spot in the women’s lightweight double and will be bringing a gold medal back to the States.

In addition to the women’s lightweight double, the United States also won a silver medal in the women’s pair, and bronze in the men’s pair, women’s double sculls, men’s four, and men’s single sculls on Sunday. Mary Jones Nabel won the gold medal in the lightweight women’s single sculls for the United States on Saturday.

Full results from the event here.

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For Mary Jones Nabel, make that a two-peat.

The American sculler finished first in the women’s lightweight single at World Rowing Cup II June 18 on Lake Malta in Poznan, Poland, which is her second straight win on the World Rowing Cup circuit after winning the same event at World Rowing Cup I.

Jones Nabel wasn’t the American with a successful day of racing.

Molly Reckford and Michelle Sechser won the women’s lightweight double semifinal to advance to the A final, both U.S. women’s double’s advanced to tomorrow’s A finals, Ben Davison advanced to the A finals in the men’s single, Justin Best and Michael Grady advanced to the A final in the men’s pair, the women’s four advanced to the A final, and the men’s lightweight double of Jasper Liu and Zach Heese advanced to the A final.

In addition to the boats that qualified today, three other U.S. crews will race in the A finals on June 19. Full results from the event here.

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Day one of the 2022 World Rowing Cup II included a strong showing from U.S. crews.

In the men’s single, Ben Davison won the first heat in the event and will advance directly to the A/B semifinals. Davison is an Olympian and 12-time national team member at the U19, U23, and senior levels. He raced in the men’s eight at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Also joining Davison in victory were both of the U.S.’s women’s pairs. Claire Collins and Madeleine Wanamaker won the first heat followed by teammates Allyson Baker and Regina Salmons winning the second. In the men’s pair Justin Best and Michael Grady also won their heat and with it advancement directly to the semi. The United States’ second men’s pair entry of Michael Clougher and Andrew LeRoux placed fourth.

The last of the American crews to race today was in the women’s single with Maggie Fellows representing the red, white, and blue. Fellows finished fifth in her heat.

In addition to the crews that did not advance directly to the semifinals, 10 more American crews will race in heats on June 17. Racing begins at 9:00 CET. Results can be found here.

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USRowing announced June 13 that Thorne HealthTech Official USRowing Partner and the exclusive supplement supplier for the U.S. National Team for 2022, 2023, and 2024.

“We are so pleased to sign on Thorne as the Exclusive Supplement Provider for the U.S. National Team,” said USRowing CEO Amanda Kraus. “Thorne has an exceptional reputation in the supplement and wellness space, and their commitment to research and development is in line with USRowing’s values of excellence, performance, and safety.” 

Thorne is an American health supplement company that “provides personalized data, products and services that help individuals take a proactive approach to health,” according to its website.

“We continue to take great pride in supporting, educating, and providing personalized health and wellness solutions to multiple U.S. national teams over the years,” said Paul Jacobson, CEO of Thorne HealthTech. “Our partnership with USRowing will help athletes integrate nutritional supplementation into their health and wellness regimens to support their peak performance goals. Time and time again, we see how important it is for athletes to know exactly what they are putting in their bodies, and we are proud to provide USRowing with high-quality, NSF Certified for Sport nutritional supplements.”

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There are 34 newly crowned national champions in the youth U.S. rowing world.

The 2022 USRowing Youth National Championship was a busy and robust one as it attracted more than 3,500 high school and junior athletes from 210 programs—making it the largest iteration in the event’s history.

The men’s youth eight was one of many barnburner races at the event with a solid first-place finish by Greenwich but a very, very slim margin between second and third. Only .08 seconds separated second-place Newport and third-place Sarasota.

In the women’s youth eight, margins were slim but not quite as slim. Chicago took the top spot with a time of 6:28.075 followed by Greenwich who clocked in at 6:29.564, and RowAmerica Rye at 6:30.833.

Among the close wins were also victories that had an even bigger story behind them.

“When we crossed the finish line, we didn’t know we were in first. We thought we hadn’t won, so when we found out, we were so, so excited,” a member of the The Winsor School’s women’s youth four Imogen Cabot said.

Cabot’s crew of Isabella Liu, Olivia Hochberg, Evelyn Wells, and Emeline Daley finished first in the event and the win came with a sweet bit of closure for the crew’s longtime coach.

“This is our coach’s [Lisa Stone] last season; she’s been with us for 24 years. She’s like a family member to me, and I’m just so happy we were able to have this big last hurrah for her. It was such a fun race. It was so fun to have that final sprint, so fun to be so close for the entire time. It just makes me love rowing.”

Full results from the event can be viewed here.

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