Silver for Dutch women and men in doubles at European Rowing Championships, four without takes bronze | Other sports

The Dutch team in the men’s double sculls, with two more members of the boat that took Olympic gold in Tokyo, had to leave reigning world champion Poland well ahead. Italy came third.

With Finn Florijn, Simon Van Dorp, Tone Wieten and Koen Metsemakers, the Netherlands took a first step towards new Olympic success in Paris. Florijn and Van Dorp are new compared to the successful team of 2021 in which Dirk Uittenbogaard and Abe Wiersma had a place. Last year, the new team missed the final at the European Championship and finished fourth at the World Cup behind Poland, Great Britain and Italy.

The Dutch rowers in the double four also took silver. Martine Veldhuis, Lisa Scheenaard, Ilse Kolkman and Tessa Dullemans only had to put up with Ukraine and finished second, just like last year. Then it was gold for Great Britain, who now finished third.

At the World Cup, the Netherlands finished second behind China last autumn. Compared to that team, Scheenaard and Veldhuis were the replacements for the not entirely fit Bente Paulis and Nika Vos.

The first final day at the European Championships in Bled started well for the Netherlands. Marloes Oldenburg, Benthe Boonstra, Hermijntje Drenth and Tinka Offereins took the bronze in the four without. The win was surprising for Romania. Defending champion Great Britain had to settle for the silver medal.

The Netherlands reached the finish just a little earlier than the Danish rowers. The bronze had a special meaning for Oldenburg in particular. Last autumn after the World Cup, where the Netherlands finished second behind the British rowers, she broke a cervical vertebra in a fall during a mountain bike ride. At last year’s European Championship, the Orange finished in four without fifth.