Day three in Plovdiv was a great day for Romania who won two championship titles and two bronze medals on the first day of medal races, with the Italians setting a new World Best Time in the women’s pair.
Italy Overhauls Uzbekistan
Cassani and Martorana held 42 strokes per minute as they moved through early leaders Rayhon Sattorova and Aydana Smetullaeva of Uzbekistan. Their finish secured Italy’s first title of the day and a World Best Time, with Uzbekistan taking silver. Australia’s Piper Hallam and Emma Peele pushed Romania out of the medals to claim bronze. Australia also reached the podium in the women’s four.
Romania won the men’s pair. Radu-Andrei Enescu and Dumitru Cristian Pascari (ROU) took an early lead but lost it to the Italians mid-race, only to sprint back into pole position in the final quarter. Greece finished 0.61 seconds behind in silver, while a late move carried Germany past Italy and into bronze.
Estonia Wins from Lane 6
More small boat entertainment followed courtesy of the scullers. In the women’s double, neutral athletes Tatiana Cherkasova and Anastasiia Burovtseva held off Poland’s Daria Dolna and Natalia Chodulska. Romania completed the podium, earning Andreea Mariuca Dumitrascu a bronze medal on her international debut.
All six men’s doubles remained within three seconds at halfway, with the lead changing repeatedly. Great Britain’s Alfie Webb and Quinn Mosley established themselves in second before Estonia charged from fourth to first over the closing metres, winning by 0.6 seconds. The British held off AIN bronze medallists Vladislav Makarov and Kirill Kozitson by just 0.34 second.
Fabulous Fours
Great Britain added another silver in the women’s four. Ottilie Campbell-Reide, Isis Thurnham, Henriette Smit and Anna Trapmore finished behind European champions Romania, with the Australian four finishing third. Campbell-Reide improved on her bronze from 2025, while her three crewmates earned their first medals at world level.
