2024 World Rowing Cup I

Words: Rachel Quarrell

PHOTOGRAPHY BENEDICT TUFNELL

Lake Varese, where the Italian rowing team goes to show off. This year's opening World Cup was a frenetic affair, from the tense racing to the crowded spectator area, where an overspilling flood-fuelled lake left the grandstand feeling more like Venice and hundreds of supporters and athletes crammed into the small amounts of dry space from which they could watch the action. There was no gelato in the clubhouse and a few key players stayed away, but the first all-comers international regatta of 2024 had enough edge to it to give plenty of material for racers, both there and watching from afar, to chew on.

For the hosts, it was a pretty good weekend. They qualified five boats to Paris from the 2023 World Championships, but at first sight it's looking good for them to add a few more to that number. The men's sweep squad has got its act together, with a reasonable eight and a very good four, the latter outmanoeuvring world champions Britain both in the heat and in the final at the World Cup, for a very satisfying gold. Their lightweight men also had a golden time, Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares managing to outwit Switzerland's Raphael Ahumada Ireland and Jan Schaeuble in the very last sprint, a tactic which brought Italy several medals at a time in the year when not many crews have practiced their run to the line.