The best in rowing honoured at the 2022 World Rowing Awards

World Rowing revealed today the winners of the 2022 World Rowing Awards.

Romania’s winning streak in the women’s double sculls secured them the award for the Women’s Crew of the Year. A fantastic performance at the 2022 World Rowing Championships gave France the Men’s Crew of the Year award. Ukraine’s success in the Para Rowing boat classes also saw Vyacheslav Zagreba taking the title of top coach for 2022. Great Britain went home with the Para Crew of the Year award, and New Zealand’s Mahé Drysdale is the recipient of the Thomas Keller Medal.

World Rowing Coach of the Year

Vyacheslav Zagreba, Ukraine
At this year’s World Rowing Championships, Vyacheslav Zagreba’s crews took away two gold medals in the PR1 Men’s Single Sculls and the PR2 Mixed Double Sculls. With the ongoing war in their homeland, the Ukraine Para team had to train all year away from home, but that didn’t stop them from giving it all on the water – and Vyacheslav Zagreba has been a key to Ukraine’s success in 2022.

World Rowing Para Crew of the Year

Giedre Rakauskaite, Francesca Allen, Edward Fuller, Oliver Stanhope, Morgan Baynham-Williams, PR3 Mixed Coxed Four, Great Britain
What a year it has been for Great Britain’s PR3 Mixed Coxed Four. In this boat class, Great Britain is undefeated since 2010 – and that combination has been no exception to GB’s success, winning every race they competed in in 2022. They had also set a new World Best Time at the 2022 World Rowing Championships – with coxswain Morgan Baynham-Williams stepping in the boat to replace Erin Kennedy, who is fighting a breast cancer. A class of their own.

World Rowing Men’s Crew of the Year

Matthieu Androdias, Hugo Boucheron, Men’s Double Sculls, France
The combination of Matthieu Androdias and Hugo Boucheron took part in only one event this year – the 2022 World Rowing Championships. But they reminded everyone why they are the reigning Olympic Champions in that boat class, with flawless technique and amazing speed. The French duo, who had to overcome a rough season – notably Hugo Boucheron, fighting against depression – managed to end it on a high note.

World Rowing Women’s Crew of the Year

Simona Radis, Ancuta Bodnar, Women’s Double Sculls, Romania
Since 2020, this crew has gone on a 18-race winning streak, including their Gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. In dominating fashion, the Romanian crew has won the World and European titles in 2022, with Simona Radis stepping in the stroke seat of the Women’s Eight at the World Championships and winning yet another World title. The most dominant crew in the rowing world in 2022.

Thomas Keller Medal

Mahé Drysdale, New Zealand
Mahé Drysdale is the winner of rowing’s most prestigious award, the Thomas Keller Medal. This comes following a career that spanned two Olympic Gold medals in the Men’s Single Sculls (London 2012, Rio 2016) and a Bronze medal in 2008. He also holds eight World Championships medals in this boat class, five of which are gold, and he is also a Henley Royal Regatta winner. A true legend of the sport, Drysdale competed earlier this year in the ”Grand Finale” race at the 2022 World Rowing Championships to honour his friend and long-time competitor Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic.

Distinguished Service to International Rowing

Denis Masseglia (France)
Rowing has been part of Denis Masseglia’s life since he was 12 years old. He went on to be a competitive rower for two decades and was president of the French Rowing Federation from 1989 to 2001. He then became president of the French National Olympic Committee from 2009 to 2021. He was as a member of the World Rowing Council, chair of the Coastal (formerly Rowing for All) Commission. He spent four years on the World Rowing Executive Committee up to 2004. The Coastal Commission champions coastal rowing and recreational rowing tours along with other rowing activities. Coming from the coastal city of Marseille, France, Masseglia has always had a strong involvement in coastal rowing.

The World Rowing Sustainability Award and the Filippi Spirit Award have not been awarded for 2022.

The winners were announced today during a virtual ceremony that was live-streamed on World Rowing’s YouTube Channel. Watch again the ceremony here.