The first medal session of the 2026 World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne produced a historic medal session on the Rotsee. India won its first-ever World Rowing Cup gold, Japan claimed a first World Cup medal, and titles went to the USA, Mexico and Hong Kong across five finals contested in searing heat on Saturday.
How to Watch World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne
The USA won the opening final of the regatta, the PR3 mixed coxed four. Australia jumped to the early lead, but the Americans found their rhythm through the middle 1,000 metres and pulled clear for a comfortable win. Ukraine moved past Australia to take silver, with the Australians settling for bronze ahead of Spain.
“It was super fun, conditions were great,” USA coxswain Hannah Diaz said. “We just had a great middle 1k. The start was a little off, but we went with it, nailed the base, and had fun.”
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Drag
Japan’s Chika Yonezawa and Chiaki Tomita won the lightweight women’s double sculls final from behind. Peru’s Alessia and Valeria Palacios had won the preliminary and led again early, but the Japanese pair worked through them in the second half to claim the win and their first World Rowing Cup medals. Kazakhstan took bronze.
The lightweight men’s double sculls had just three entries, yet all three crews were overlapped at the line. India’s Lakshay and Ujjwal Kumar Singh, making their international debut, struck out boldly from the front to beat World Rowing Cup I winners Lam San Tung and Chan Tik Lung of Hong Kong. The Netherlands’ Erik van Eijck van Heslinga and Ferik Ploeg charged home for bronze but ran out of water. It was India’s first ever World Rowing Cup gold medal.
Mexico’s Kenia Lechuga underlined her form in the women’s lightweight single-sculls race. The most experienced sculler in the field, Lechuga repeated her World Rowing Cup I victory by leading from start to finish. Behind her, the Netherlands’ Femke van de Vliet produced a late surge to snatch silver from Ireland’s Izzy Clements, who held on for bronze after racing level with Hong Kong’s Winnie Hung for much of the distance.
“It feels like hope,” Lechuga said. “I want to do my best at the next World Rowing Championships, and I think this is the way.”
Photo Kenia Lechuga of Mexico
Hong Kong’s Chiu Hin Chun, who first reached the podium on this course in 2024, closed the session with a controlled win in the lightweight men’s single sculls. He had clear water by halfway and was never threatened. The Netherlands’ Cornelus Palsma took silver, with USA’s Justin Schmidt in bronze.
“The last couple of weeks I go through ups and downs, so this medal is very meaningful to me,” Chiu said.
Sunday brings the Olympic-class finals, where Great Britain’s Lauren Henry was the fastest women’s single sculls qualifier and Germany’s Oliver Zeidler looked dominant in the men’s event.
