Racing for the 2019 World Championships begins on Sunday, August 25, in Linz, Austria. Below, we preview the women's four and qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Regatta.
ENTRIES - 16
2018 WORLD CHAMPION – Wanamaker/Boxberger/Bruggeman/Reelick - USA
2016 OLYMPIC CHAMPION – N/A
2020 OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION SPOTS – Top 8
PLOVDIV 2018 RECAP
The American crew of Madeleine Wanamaker, Erin Boxberger, Molly Bruggeman, and Erin Reelick took the lead in the final after about 250 meters of the race and extended their lead down the course to win by nearly a length. The race for silver was between Australia, Denmark, and Russia, with the Aussies taking second, and the Russians sprinting through Denmark for third. Poland took fifth and China sixth. Watch the final here.
2019 SEASON RECAP
Australia and Denmark have had the most success so far in 2019, with Australia taking gold at World Cup III, and bronze at World Cup II. The Danes won World Cup II and took second at World Cup III and both crews are racing these lineups intact at the World Championships.
The crews from The Netherlands, China, and Romania have also done well and will have the same lineups in Linz. The Dutch won the European Championship, World Cup I, and finished fifth at World Cup III, while the Romanians finished second at Europeans and third at World Cup III. China raced to silver at World Cup II and bronze at World Cup I.
Poland won the bronze at the European Championships and returns the same crew that finished in 2018. The USA has raced multiple crews and different lineups made the finals at both World Cup I and World Cup II, but their crew for Linz is completely new.
USA PROSPECTS
The USA is boating a very experienced for the 2019 World Championships, featuring Vicky Opitz, Madeleine Wanamaker, Caryn Davies, and Molly Bruggeman. Both Wanamaker and Bruggeman return from the winning crew in 2019 and have made multiple senior and U23 teams. Opitz raced the eight and pair last year in Plovdiv and has won four world titles in the eight. Finally, the four is bolstered by the return of Davies from retirement at age 37. Davies stroked the USA women's eight to gold medals in the Beijing and London Olympics and was the 7-seat in the Athens eight that took the silver. The four should make the final and be a strong contender to win a medal.
MEDAL PICKS
The Americans are the favorites for the gold, with the only concern being that Davies hasn't raced on the international level in seven years. China, Australia, and Denmark are race ready and should provide a formidable test, while Romania and The Netherlands should be in the mix as well. Finally, Canada has a new crew racing in the four that could sneak onto the medal stand.
GOLD – UNITED STATES
SILVER – DENMARK
BRONZE - AUSTRALIA
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