The eight days of competition at the 2024 Senior, U23 and U19 World Rowing Championships got off to a quick start, with three world records being broken and several others coming close in the first heat of the Senior and U23 boat classes on Sunday 18 August.

Conditions were favourable, if not exceptional, but it was clear from the start that an exciting day of racing was in store. Caetano Horta Pombo, a two-time Olympian at just 21 years old, was the first to come close to the world best in the heats of the men’s lightweight singles under-23 class. His time was 6:48.30, less than two seconds off the current world best.

By the time the afternoon session began, the wind had picked up slightly, allowing for faster racing conditions. In the second race of the afternoon, the first world best of the day was broken when Italy’s Niels Torre beat the previous time of 6:41.03 in the senior lightweight singles with a time of 6:39.56. Two-time Olympic champion Paul O’Donovan competed in the final heat and posted a time of 6:41.98, so a thrilling race is likely when the two meet in the final.

The two members of the Greek women’s U23 lightweight double sculls team competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics just a few weeks ago, albeit in different boats. Dimitra Kontou and Evangelia Anastasiadou are reunited in St. Catharines to defend their title as U23 World Rowing Champions – and it looks quite likely. Today they beat their own world best time, set last year, by an incredible 8.65 seconds.

Also freshly back from the Olympic Games is Germany’s Alexandra Foester, who competes here in the women’s U23 singles and also broke the U23 world record. Foester beat her Olympic colleague Aurelia-Maxima Janzen from Switzerland, against whom she last competed in the B final in Paris, and beat the previous U23 world record from 2022 by more than five seconds with a time of 7:19.52.

There was great excitement in the packed stands in the penultimate boat class of the day as the U23 women’s eights were launched. The first heat was thrilling and the USA and Australia crossed the finish line at the same time, posting exactly the same time – 6:01.73, which was just over the current U23 world best of 6:00.13. The photo finish went in the USA’s favour, securing them a direct place in the final. Great Britain won the second heat in 6:05.06.

The final race of the day was a heat around the lanes for the U23 men’s eight. Everything changed in the second half of the race as the USA overtook Australia to take the win, while Great Britain moved from fifth place at 1,000m to second place.

Due to the forecast adverse weather conditions, the Executive Committee of the World Rowing Federation has decided to change the racing programme. This means that there will be no racing on Monday 19 August. Racing for the 2024 World Rowing Championships is scheduled to resume on Tuesday 20 August. An updated schedule has been published on the World Rowing Federation website.