Netherlands claims two golds and two podiums at Amsterdam World Rowing Championships

Dutch double sculls gold after thunderstorm delay

The 2026 World Rowing Championships on the Bosbaan in Amsterdam opened its medal races on Friday with severe weather interruptions. Thunderstorms and heavy rain forced regatta officials to pause racing for nearly two hours, pushing the A-finals back into the early evening. Melvin Twellaar and Simon van Dorp, paired together in the double sculls this season after competing individually in single sculls, took the men's title. The Dutch duo held off an early challenge from Serbia in the opening 1,000 meters before pulling away in the final 500 meters to win by more than three seconds. The victory marked the second world championship in the event for Twellaar, who won in 2023 with Stef Broenink, and the first world title for Van Dorp. Shortly after, reigning world champions Benthe Boonstra and Roos de Jong finished second in the women's double sculls, conceding gold to Ireland by half a boat length.

There are so many people here, so that makes it extra special. During the row up you hear all those people. It is really super cool that that is all for you. Of course we always train here too, so to become world champion here is really very special.

Women quadruple sculls retain world title

The Dutch women's quadruple sculls crew defended their world title on Saturday morning on the Bosbaan course. The boat, comprising Marieke Keijser, Lisa Bruijnincx, Margot Leeuwenburgh, and Tessa Dullemans, took control after an initial lead by German and Romanian crews. By the 1,000-meter mark, the Dutch quartet established a 1.67-second lead in lane one and maintained that margin through the finish line. Keijser returned to international competition this season after a three-year hiatus, taking the seat vacated by Willemijn Mulder, who moved into the Dutch women's eight. Bruijnincx, Leeuwenburgh, and Dullemans had previously won the event at the 2025 championships in Shanghai.

This one is very special. Last year the first title was great, but this year there is a different pressure in front of the home crowd because you want to do it again. In the last 500 meters it was digging very deep, but then you come past the grandstand and they scream you through.

Four-without podium finishes and American world record

Podium races in the coxless four categories produced two more medals for the host nation alongside an international benchmark. The United States won the women's four-without in a world record time of 6:09.87, ahead of Australia at 6:12.40. The Dutch boat, rowed by Ymkje Clevering, Tinka Offereins, and their crew, took bronze in 6:13.74, improving on a fourth-place finish at the 2025 championships in Shanghai. Clevering, who won Olympic gold in the coxless pair in Paris, described executing the team's race plan from the opening strokes. In the men's four-without, the Netherlands earned silver after leading early and battling Britain and the United States, with crew members Van Lierop and Van Doorn noting that the performance was their fastest race of the season.

We were away really well. That was exactly what we wanted. We really did everything we had planned.

Men quadruple sculls and upcoming schedule

In the men's quadruple sculls final, the Dutch crew of Mats van Sabben, Thijs Ruiken, Lukas Keijzer, and Percijn van Haeringen finished fourth. The crew stayed in contention through 1,000 meters before Great Britain pulled ahead to secure bronze. Italy moved past early leaders Germany in the second half of the 2,000-meter course to claim gold, leaving Germany with silver. For 26-year-old Van Sabben, who took up rowing during the pandemic before joining the national squad, the result capped his first world final in the quad. Competition at the Bosbaan continues on Sunday afternoon, when Clevering and other Dutch rowers contest the mixed-eight final.