Four years and millions of meters of training since London have led to Rio, with the first racing strokes starting on Saturday morning at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas for the 2016 Olympic Games Regatta. The USA women bring one of the strongest squads in history and are the only nation to qualify all six events for the regatta.
Both the women's eight and quad are the defending world champions in their event with the eight looking to win their 11th consecutive World or Olympic title, a streak that reaches back to the 2006 World Championships.
Here's our breakdown of women's events, be sure to check out the men's event preview and make your picks for all the medal winners!
THE FAVORITE – Australian Kim Brennan nee Crow, who won the women's single at the 2015 and 2013 World Championships. At the London Olympics, Brennan won silver in the W2x and bronze in the W1x.
MEDAL CONTENDERS – This Olympic quadrennial has been a fight between Brennan and Emma Twigg of New Zealand, with Brennan winning in 2013, Twigg in 2014, then Brennan in 2015 when Twigg was taking the year off for school. Most recently, Brennan defeated Twigg while winning World Cup III one month ago.
Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic is the reigning Olympic champion and the 2015 silver medalist. Jingli Duan of China has won the bronze medal at the last two world championships and finished fourth at World Cup II. Gevvie Stone of the USA has improved every year this quadrennial, and finished fourth in 2014 and took the silver at World Cup II ahead of Knapkova and just behind Brennan. Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus is competing in her seventh Olympics and has two gold, a silver, and two bronze medals in Olympic competition. Jeannine Gmelin of Switzerland finished fifth in 2015, and third at World Cup III. Carling Zeeman of Canada finished sixth in 2015 as well winning Pan-AMs.
USA PROSPECTS - A good regatta for Gevvie Stone will be making the A Final and winning a medal.
2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – With the absence of Emma Twigg, Kim Brennan crushed the field in the first half of the race to win by three seconds over Mirka Knapkova. Watch the final here.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALISTS
W1X | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
2012 | CZE | DEN | AUS |
2013 | AUS | NZL | CZE |
2014 | NZL | AUS | CHN |
2015 | AUS | CZE | CHN |
THE FAVORITE – The New Zealand women's double returns intact from the crew that won the 2015 World Championship, and stroke seat Zoe Stevenson is one missed stroke in 2013 from winning all three world titles this cycle.
MEDAL CONTENDERS – The Polish double, which finished fourth in 2015, has shown the most speed so far in 2016, winning both the Varese and Poznan World Cups. The double from Lithuania will also be in contention following their win at World Cup II in Lucerne and were the world champions in 2013.
Greece, who finished second in 2015, is a bit of a wild card. The crew features 19-year-old Sofia Asoumanaki and former lightweight single sculler AikateriniNikolaidou. Asoumanaki set the world indoor 2k record at the 2015 CRASH-B Sprints and Nikolaidou won LW1x silver medals in both 2013 and 2014.
Other potential finalists that could contend for the podium are the British, Australians, and USA.
USA PROSPECTS – Ellen Tomek and Meghan O'Leary have been the USA double since 2013 and have had some solid World Cup results including two silver medals, but have yet to place higher than sixth at a World Championships. A good showing in Rio would be an A Final appearance with an outside shot at taking a podium position.
2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – The German double shot out in the A Final, but were reeled in by the Kiwis by the midway point in the race. While New Zealand pulled away for the win, the Greeks sprinted through the Germans to win the silver, while Germany took the bronze. Watch the final here.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALISTS
W2X | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
2012 | GBR | AUS | POL |
2013 | LTU | NZL | BLR |
2014 | NZL | POL | AUS |
2015 | NZL | GRE | GER |
THE FAVORITE – No clear-cut favorite in the women's quad. Germany had the most successful quadrennial but was upset by the USA in 2015. The medal final should be one of the best races of the regatta.
MEDAL CONTENDERS – With only seven entries for six spots in the medal final, the women's quad has many potential podium crews. Germany won the event in 2013 and 2014, but lost to the USA last year. They return three of the four and won in Poznan. The USA only returns half of its world championship line-up and is racing in a brand new combination.
The Dutch quad that won bronze in 2015 returns intact, and had a successful World Cup season in 2016, medalling in all three regattas. Then the Poles will also be a strong medal contender, after finishing fourth in 2015 and winning the Lucerne World Cup.
USA PROSPECTS –The defending world champions return two scullers from 2015, Megan Kalmoe and Tracey Eisser. "Newcomers" to the quad Adrienne Martelli and Grace Latz are not without experience in the event. Martelli won Olympic bronze in 2012, and silver in 2011, while Latz won a bronze in the quad in 2014. A good showing in Rio would be winning a medal.
2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Probably the upset of the regatta, the USA won after finishing second in their heat, and second in the repechage. In the final, they used a strong middle thousand to build a lead on Germany, winning by half a length. Watch the final here.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALISTS
W4X | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
2012 | UKR | GER | USA |
2013 | GER | CAN | POL |
2014 | GER | CHN | USA |
2015 | USA | GER | NED |
THE FAVORITE – The British pair of Heather Stanning and Helen Glover is unbeaten since the 2011 World Championships, winning 36 consecutive races together.
MEDAL CONTENDERS – New Zealand and the United States have thrown everything at the British this cycle but have been unable to crack Stanning and Glover. The Kiwi pair of Genevieve Behrent and Rebecca Scown is doubling out of the W8+ and finished second at both Lucerne and Poznan. Meanwhile the USA combination of the Grace Luczak and Felice Mueller won in Lucerne following an illness in the GB crew.
USA PROSPECTS – Luczak and Mueller won the USA Selection Regatta and were selected as the W2- following their win at World Cup II. The pair also has some history together, as they won the 2011 U23 world championship, setting the U23 World Best Time in the final. A good showing in Rio would be a medal with an outside shot at upsetting Great Britain.
2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Great Britain took control of the race from the first stroke and raced to an open water win. In the race between New Zealand and the United States for the silver, the USA crew of Mueller and Elle Logan led early but were overtaken by NZL in the third 500 to take second. Watch the final here.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALISTS
W2- | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
2012 | GBR | AUS | NZL |
2013 | GBR | ROM | NZL |
2014 | GBR | USA | NZL |
2015 | GBR | NZL | USA |
THE FAVORITE – The United States has won ten consecutive world and Olympic titles and is the favorite to win in Rio.
MEDAL CONTENDERS – New Zealand won the silver in 2015 and has had a fairly successful 2016 campaign, finishing third in Lucerne and first in Poznan. They have been pressed by Great Britain, who raced to within a second of the USA in Lucerne, and finished second in Poznan.
Canada, lead by now eight-time Olympian coxswain Lesley Thompson-Willie, should also be in the mix for the medals, having won to bronze and silver this cycle, and is looking to peak in Rio.
USA PROSPECTS – Coxswain Katelin Snyder returns, along with six of the rowers from the 2015 winning crew: Polk, Simmonds, Musnicki, Gobbo, Regan, and Schmetterling. Elle Logan makes her return to the eight after racing in the pair in 2015 and is looking to win her third Olympic gold medal. Amanda Elmore makes her debut in the eight, after racing in the world champion W4x last summer. A good showing in Rio would be an Olympic championship.
2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – The USA used a devastating middle thousand to build a length lead on the field to win by three seconds. Great Britain got out fast early, but was caught by New Zealand and Canada by the thousand. The Kiwis took the silver over the Canadians by two seats with the Brits in fourth. Watch the final here.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALISTS
W8+ | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
2012 | USA | CAN | NED |
2013 | USA | ROM | CAN |
2014 | USA | CAN | CHN |
2015 | USA | NZL | CAN |
THE FAVORITE – The New Zealand double of Julia Edward and Sophie Mackenzie have won the last two world championship titles, however expect a very strong field to compete for all the medals.
MEDAL CONTENDERS – A large slate of strong crews will make just making the medal final in this event a stern challenge, and whoever manages the peaking next week the best will be the ones bringing home the hardware. Based off the last two years of results, at least eight crews, including New Zealand, have a legitimate shot at medalling.
Canada went fourth in Aiguebellete and won in Lucerne. China finished seventh in 2015 and won the Varese World Cup. Denmark finished fifth in 2015 and second in Poznan. Great Britain finished second in 2015 and Katherine Copeland is the reigning Olympic champion in the event.
Germany made the final in 2015 and won silver at Europeans. The Netherlands won the FOQR and Europeans, and then set the World Best Time while winning in Poznan. South Africa won bronze in 2015, bronze in Varese, and silver in Lucerne.
USA PROSPECTS –The American LW2x of Kate Bertko and Devery Karz could be the wild card of the event. The new combination out of Vesper dominated Olympic Trials hitting the highest percentages of the regatta, but then had to withdraw from racing in Lucerne due to illness. So, this crew is has potential, but is untested on the international stage together. A good showing at Rio would be to make the A Final and have a chance to compete for a medal.
2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – New Zealand raced even-splitted the final to row from fifth to first to repeat at world champions. It was a very close race between the Kiwis, Brits, and South Africans for much of the 2000 meters, with Great Britain taking the silver, and South Africa the bronze.Watch the final here.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALISTS
LW2X | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
2012 | GBR | CHN | GRE |
2013 | ITA | USA | GER |
2014 | NZL | CAN | CHN |
2015 | NZL | GBR | RSA |
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