Dutch Rowers Show World Championship Form with Medal Haul in Seville
The Dutch rowing team made an immediate statement at the first World Rowing Cup of the season. In Seville, Spain, TeamNL captured no fewer than eight medals, including three golds, once again ranking among the most successful nations at the event.
These performances serve as an important benchmark ahead of the international championships later this season and offer a promising outlook for the Staatsloterij World Rowing Championships, which will take place from 23 to 30 August at the Bosbaan rowing venue in Amsterdam.
The gold medals were won by Simon van Dorp and Melvin Twellaar in the men’s double sculls, the women’s coxless four featuring Tinka Offereins, Linn van Aanholt, Ymkje Clevering, and Nika Vos, and the men’s eight. The latter demonstrated impressive speed in the final and gave their rivals no chance throughout the race.
The Netherlands also reached the podium in several other boat classes. In the women’s events, both the double sculls and the eight secured silver medals. In the men’s events, the quadruple sculls finished second, while the coxless four claimed bronze. Femke van de Vliet finished third in the non-Olympic lightweight single sculls.
Nico Rienks, Tournament Director of the Staatsloterij 2026 World Rowing Championships, sees the results in Seville primarily as confirmation of the strength of Dutch rowing.
“Eight medals at the first World Cup of the season is an excellent result. What gives us particular confidence is that we are competing at the front across many different boat classes. That says a lot about the depth and quality of the team. But as we know in rowing, medals in May are great, medals in August are even better.
The coming months will be fully focused on further preparation for the Staatsloterij World Rowing Championships. As organizers, we are very much looking forward to welcoming the world’s best rowers to the Bosbaan in the final week of August and, hopefully, witnessing many Dutch successes up close.”
