The US Women's eight stormed through the field to win silver on Sunday, and locked up a spot in the process for the Paris Olympics for the USA in the event. It is the first Worlds medal since the US won bronze in Linz in 2019--which, of course, is really only two championship races ago, but is still a significant result for the squad. None of the women in the crew had won an eights medal at the senior level before today.

Australia was the early leader, before Romania punched through to win a second gold in as many years. The USA was as far back as sixth, but it was a tight field, and the Americans were never more than a length off of Romania, who powered into the lead in the third 500. The USA pipped Australia for the silver.

You can watch the video replay of the race here.

row2k spoke with two of the senior members of the crew, Tokyo Olympians Jessica Thoennes and Charlotte Buck, as well as the coxswain Nina Castagna and her fellow first-timer in the crew, Mary Mazzio-Manson.

Jessica Thoennes, three seat

I have to hand it to our coxswain: Nina called an unbelievable race. That entire race was just a demonstration of trust, trust in our coach, our teammates, in each other. Trust in Nina calling it.

All these women put hundreds and hundreds of hours in and it didn't matter where we were, because everybody was internal and Nina told us what to do. It just goes to show every time that you just do your race and execute what you can, good things will come. I couldn't be more proud of us and thrilled to see the start of the another amazing coxswain's career for the USA.

Nina Castagna, coxswain

It was definitely different that any of pieces we've done, being in last place going into that second 500, but before the race and and every day leading up, we talked about the trust we had in each other, in the plan and executing it. I knew that as we made our way through the race, all we had to do is trust that it was going to work out as long as we executed our plan. It's a great testament to the trust that I have in them and vice versa.

Charlotte Buck, stroke seat

As soon as we were coming through and we were in a medal position, it was a lot of emotion to keep in check to just execute our sprint. It was so important, the trust: you could feel it in the sprint, in a way that we just knew we were going get in the position we wanted to. That felt so amazing.

I feel like we didn't know [we could medal] until halfway through the race, but you still don't know. It was so tight the whole way, no one got dropped at all. It's never really certain until those last strokes but we had confidence. As soon as we started moving through GB next to us, we [realized] we can do this. We have the fitness we have the strength, we can get through them and get where we want to be.

Beating Australia to the line with overlap on Romania

Mary Mazzio-Manson, seven seat

We just had an amazing crew in the way that all nine women came together. We've grown so much in the past two months. I feel so lucky to be in this boat. It's an amazing group of women. I had no doubt the whole time.

I've gotten so much support from my different universities, from Yale and Texas, and the program that they have at Craftsbury. I'm just so lucky and grateful. I'm a product of all those systems.

Charlotte Buck, stroke seat

We all had those people on senior team that we looked up to so much, and I hope that that's how the younger girls feel about us, [even though] we're not so different in age.

It meant a lot to do all that hard work and finally get on the podium, because sometimes you work and work and the best you are going to do is how you finish. That doesn't mean that you didn't do a great race, but to have the little accolade at the end feels really great. I hope it makes everybody see that Jesse Foglia's and Josy Verdonkschot's training plan, all the changes we've done, that that is getting us where we need to be.

Jessica Thoennes, three seat

I'm so lucky to have known the women who came before [and] there's so many women who have made me better. It didn't matter who was in this boat. It was the right mix of personalities and everybody demonstrated that to the highest of their ability.

It's a privilege to row for USA. I didn't think I was going to get to be a senior kid [on the team] one day. This is a dream come true. Every day is a dream come true.

Charlotte Buck, stroke seat

To have the boat qualified, it's is so important and, for the nine of us, none of us have been on podium for the eight for the women's team. That is so big, getting the US back on the podium and such a good step for next year to get us in the right position.

Read about the other US medal winners here.