The Sinkovic brothers will switch back to the men’s pair for Paris. They announced their decision to abandon the men’s double in favour of the pair via social media.
Photo CRO M2x
Credit Benedict Tufnell
The Croatian duo posted a video of them training in the pair on their social media channels with the caption, “An idle mind is the devil’s playground! New old pair is back and getting ready for #Paris2024”.
The Sinkovics won gold at the 2023 European Championships but subsequently lost to the Dutch double at Lucerne. At the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, the Croatians secured a silver medal, three seconds behind the Tokyo silver medallists Melvin Twellaar and Stefan Broenink (NED). It was the Croatian duo’s first world championship medal since Linz, Austria, in 2019, where they won gold in the pair.
“An idle mind is the devil’s playground!”
The Sinkovic brothers
Martin and Valent Sinkovic are two-time Olympic champions. They won silver at London 2012 in the men’s quads before winning consecutive Olympic gold medals, first in the double at Rio 2016 and then, five years later, in the pair at Tokyo 2020. They returned to the double in 2022, winning all three world rowing cups and the European championships, but their season ended with a disappointing fourth place at the Worlds in Racice, Cezch Republic.
Photo The Sinkovic brothers win their fiftieth world medal on home waters at the 2023 World Rowing Cup I in Zagreb, Croatia.
Credit Benedict Tufnell
At the 2023 Worlds, the Croatian team qualified three boats for Paris 2024, the men’s pair, double and single. The Loncaric brothers, Patrik and Anton, represented Croatia in the men’s pair. They finished eleventh at Belgrade, securing the last Olympic qualification spot 0.16s ahead of the Danes. The decision for the Sinkovic brothers to return to the pair means the Loncaric brothers are now focussing on making their Olympic debut in the double.
