From Tokyo 2020, looking forward: The Pair

The 2022 World Rowing season is bearing down on us, and as we move towards the first races of the international season we are reviewing a selection of our Olympic and Paralympic boat classes. The end of an Olympic and Paralympic cycle always means changes are coming – coaches change the nations they are working with, some athletes retire, some athletes stick around, but focus more on their family life or academic life.

With the perfect partner, the pair is the perfect boat, and it has launched some of the most famous rowing partnerships in history. There’s Redgrave and Pinsent, the Sinkovic brothers, Heddle and McBean, Andrunache and Susanu and, of course, Bond and Murray. The pair is not for the fainthearted. With only two oars and one long skinny boat, one wrong stroke can see the balance go, and it would be hard to find a pair partnership that hadn’t ended up in the water at some point.

What went on in 2021?

European Rowing Championships

In what was the first regatta of the 2021 season, it could be anyone’s game. While the 2020 European Rowing Championships had been contested in October 2020 in Poznan, many nations had decided not to take part due the the global pandemic. With more crews and more nations in the fight for the title of European Champions, athletes were ready to show what training they had put in during lockdowns.

The Croatian brothers of Martin and Valent Sinkovic crossed the line first in the Men’s Pair, followed by the Italians Matteo Lodo and Giuseppe Vicino, and the Serbians Martin Mackovic and Milos Vasic.

The Women’s Pair saw the return of 2016 and 2012 Olympic Champion Helen Glover of Great Britain. In her first international race back, Glover and partner Polly Swann took home the gold. Glover’s ascent through 2021 had been astounding considering the long break Glover had between Rio and Tokyo. Since her 2016 victory, Glover became a mother of three.

World Cup Series

The Croatians made sure to leave their mark during the 2021 World Rowing Cup series – they took away the gold in both the Men’s and Women’s Pairs at the 2021 World Rowing Cup I, on their home waters of Zagreb, Croatia. The Sinkovic brothers continued on their winning streak at the 2021 World Rowing Cup III in Sabaudia, Italy, after not attending World Cup II. The Serbian Men’s pair finished first at the 2021 World Rowing Cup II, on the mythical waters of the Rotsee, in Lucerne, Switzerland. Unfortunately for the Serbians, a COVID case in early July kept them from the final preparations for the Olympic Games, leaving them to only get back in the boat little before the start in Tokyo.

For the Women, Spain took home gold at World Rowing Cup II, and the freshly Olympic qualified Danish duo of Hedvig Rasmussen and Fie Udby Erichsen closed out the 2021 World Rowing Cup Series with a win in Sabaudia, Italy.

The Olympic Games

Martin and Valent Sinkovic of Croatia made history when they won the men’s pair. It wasn’t so much their win itself that made history, but more that at the previous Olympic Games they took gold in a different event – the Men’s Double Sculls (not the mention they also have a silver in the Men’s Quadruple Sculls from 2012). The Sinkovic Tokyo gold medal capped off a five-year build-up that saw them face some ups-and-downs, but always remain classy and the boat to watch.

Results: CRO, ROU, DEN, CAN, SRB, ESP

In Tokyo,  alongside partner Polly Swann, they finished fourth, despite a gallant effort. Despite Glover’s comeback, all eyes were on the New Zealand duo of Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler, the 2019 World Rowing Champions in that boat class. Prendergast and Gowler had set a new World Best Time in the semifinals and, despite also racing in the women’s eight, they pulled off an impressive win. The New Zealanders then went on to join their eight and take a second Olympic medal.

Results: NZL, ROC, CAN, GBR, GRE, ESP

Now, that’s noteworthy

• World Rowing’s Top 10 Women for 2021 had Prendergast and Gowler in position one and two on the list. Since their Olympic victory, Gowler has gotten married, and Prendergast is studying at Cambridge and competing in the upcoming Boat Race.
• World Rowing’s Top 10 Men for 2021 featured Martin and Valent Sinkovic taking seventh and eighth spots.
• It was far from plain sailing to the start line for the Olympic bronze medallists, Caileigh Filmer and Hillary Janssens of Canada. Filmer broke her collarbone in a bike crash while Janssens suffered a back injury. Spin bikes became a big part of their preparation.

“We told ourselves that the first half we were going to race physically, the second half we were going to race with our hearts.” –  Filmer in an interview by Canadian Olympic Committee.

• Romania’s Ciprian Tudosa raced at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games where he won the pair. He’s now an Olympic medallist at the age of 24.
• The Danes finished in the bronze medal spot after qualifying for the Olympics at the last minute at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. In bow, Frederic Vystavel had last raced internationally ten years prior.
• Youngsters Christina Bourmpou and Maria Kyridou from Greece are both completing their first year of university in the United States, and rowing of course.

Onto greener pastures – or blue-er waters?

• Martin and Valent Sinkovic. No, they’re not retiring from rowing (they’re still hungry for more!). They’re swapping one oar for two and going back into the already very competitive men’s double sculls. Watch out Androdias and Boucheron!
• Megan Kalmoe. After four Olympic Games competing for the United States, Kalmoe is hanging up her oars. And she goes out with the pair being her final boat. Good luck Megan.
• Caileigh Filmer. A bike crash hasn’t stopped Filmer from moving over to cycling! Will we see her back at the Olympics, this time on two wheels?
• Helen Glover. She’s retiring (again!) and spending more time with her family.

Crystal ball gazing

This year will no-doubt see some new names come out to race internationally for the first time, some old names take a break and some retirements.

On the women’s side the nations traditionally strong in the pair – Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Canada and the United States – will be back. The question is, who will be in the boat? If it’s not Prendergast and Gowler, there’s little doubt that New Zealand will still field a strong team.

For the men, all questions will be on who can replace the dominance of the Sinkovics. Can the Romanians take over in the top spot? And what about those Danes?

On the 2022 Calendar:

2022 World Rowing Cup I – Belgrade, Serbia, 27-29 May
2022 World Rowing Cup II – Poznan, Poland, 17-19 June
2022 World Rowing Cup III – Lucerne, Switzerland, 8-10 July
2022 European Rowing Championships – Munich, Germany, 11-14 August
2022 World Rowing Championships – Racice, Czech Republic, 18-25 September