Double Sculls, Women

Romania’s Ancuța Bodnar and Simona Radiș came to Paris as one of the heaviest favorites in women’s rowing. They were the defending gold medalists in women’s doubles sculls, and had won the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and the 2023 Luzern Regatta. They were European Champions four times consecutively from 2020-2023, and had not been beaten at a major international since the 2019 World Championships, when they took silver behind the New Zealand team of Brooke Donoghue and Olivia Loe.

But sports don’t always follow the book. Donoghue was back for New Zealand, but now as Brooke Francis. She had won silver in this event at Tokyo 2020 alongside Hannah Osborne, but was now paired with Lucy Spoors, who had rowed the eight at Tokyo 2020, winning a silver medal.

In the A final, Bodnar and Radiș took the lead at 1,000 metres, seemingly on their way to a repeat. But Francis and Spoors moved ahead at 1,500 metres. Romania came back, posting the fastest split over the final 500 metres, but could not catch the Kiwis, finishing 0.24 seconds behind them as Francis and Spoors took a surprising gold medal. Behind them, the British pair of Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne and Becky Wilde took the bronze medal, well back of second place.

This was the third gold medal for New Zealand in the women’s doubles sculls, the most of any nation, and Romania won their sixth medal in the event, also the most of any nation.