Ukraine’s Men’s Quadruple Sculls Claim Bronze at World Cup Regatta in Plovdiv

Bronze Finish for the Men’s Quadruple Sculls

According to Главком: A Ukrainian crew consisting of Oleksandr Bahlai, Yurii Ivanov, Artem Verestiuk, and Ivan Dovhodko secured a bronze medal at the second World Cup stage held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This marks a significant milestone for Ukrainian rowing, as the country had not earned any medals in this boat class at World Cup events over the past three years. Their last podium appearance was a second-place finish at the 2023 World Cup stage in Zagreb.

At the 500-meter mark, the Ukrainian team faced strong pressure from the New Zealand crew, who trailed by less than a second. The gold medal went to Italy’s crew, the silver medalists from the 2024 Paris Olympics. China’s team took home the silver.

Notably, Oleksandr Bahlai was initially entered in the double sculls with Ihor Khmara but later replaced Mykola Mazur in the quadruple sculls. This lineup change proved pivotal to the team’s success.

Near Misses for Other Ukrainian Crews

Beyond the quadruple sculls’ achievement, other Ukrainian crews competed at this World Cup stage but fell short of the podium. The men’s coxless four-comprising Oleksii Selivanov, Maksym Boklazhenko, Oleh Kravchenko, and Maksym Semenov-finished in fourth place. Similarly, Kateryna Dudchenko placed fourth in the women’s single sculls, missing out on a medal by less than 0.5 seconds to Anna Prakaten of Uzbekistan, who won silver at the 2020 Olympic Games.

This World Cup stage proved historic for Ukraine, as the nation claimed its first gold medal of the season in Olympic rowing at a World Cup event. Ukrainian rowers demonstrated consistent competitive form and continue to strive for top results on the international stage.

The success of Ukraine’s men’s quadruple sculls at the Plovdiv World Cup highlights a resurgence in Ukrainian rowing after a prolonged medal drought at international competitions. This bronze could serve as a vital catalyst for the sport’s development in Ukraine and for preparations ahead of future championships and Olympic Games.

The competition showed that Ukrainian rowers can compete with the world’s leading teams, fueling optimism for their upcoming performances on the global stage.