The Crew Stop Athletes Reflect on the 2026 World Rowing Championships

The 2026 World Rowing Championships were held August 24–30 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, bringing together the best rowers from around the world for a week of high-level racing.

The U.S. team had a strong showing, highlighted by medals in every women’s sweep event, a bronze medal in the women’s quad, gold medals in both the men’s and women’s fours, gold in the Mixed PR3 Coxed Four, and a fourth-place finish for Sam Melvin.

Among the athletes competing on the world stage were several Crew Stop athletes. We asked a few of them to share their experiences from Amsterdam, what they learned from their racing, and how they approached the 2026 season.

Regina Salmon: Stacking the Small Gains

* Regina Salmon (left) and pair partner Mia Levy (right)

Regina Salmon, a 2024 Olympian, raced in the bow seat of the U.S. women’s pair alongside Mia Levy. After finding themselves in last place at the 500-meter mark of the A-final, the pair stayed composed and fought their way back through the field to earn a bronze medal.

Amsterdam presented challenging and constantly changing conditions, making adaptability a key part of the racing.

“Amsterdam was very windy, both head and tail. My pair partner and I had three very different weather days for racing. Our focus was to utilize the warm up area to do race pace practice 20 strokes in the direction of the wind to calibrate for that specific day. We looked to make the boat work for us and not spin our wheels with the wind as much as we could. It was important for us to remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect but that little technical focuses add up across 2,000m. Either bleed to death with paper cuts or you can think about taking 1 inch on the competition every stroke.”

“With bronze on the podium for us and medals in every sweep event, I’m very excited to see the momentum the U.S. women can continue to build. Stacking 1% on 1% no matter the wind.”

For Regina and many other elite rowers, consistency throughout the season is just as important as race-day preparation. She used The Crew Stop gloves at different points throughout her training to help manage the transitions between erging and rowing on the water.

“I used The Crew Stop gloves across my training this year — from humid Florida in January where I hadn’t rowed in two months and just erged (they saved my training camp!) back to rowing in Jersey after another erging camp in Colorado to California altitude camp to Italy and racing throughout Europe. They were SO helpful in the transition between erg training blocks and then back on the water — I have softer skin and if I don’t row for a few weeks my hands will get absolutely shredded without the gloves. I used to use so much tape I looked like a mummy, but I’ve seen the light and this way is much better. They wash really well too so they can handle all the traveling.”

For an athlete traveling and training in different conditions throughout the year, keeping her hands healthy allows her to focus on the work in front of her rather than managing blisters and torn skin.

Charlotte Buck: Finding Speed Together

* Dahlia Levine (bow seat) of US women’s eight

Charlotte Buck was in the three seat of the U.S. women’s eight. For women's eight, Amsterdam marked the first time the crew had raced together, making their ability to execute what they had worked on in practice especially important. Charlotte started wearing The Crew Stop gloves this year, using them when sweaty hands or rainy conditions made maintaining her grip more difficult.

“This is my first year wearing the gloves, and I am totally converted.”

The U.S. women’s eight entered the final with confidence after seeing the speed of the women’s four and knowing they had been building toward a specific race goal all season.

“We knew everybody was gonna be pretty fast with the tailwind conditions. We were very inspired by our women’s four setting a new world’s best time, and we’ve had a goal all season to hit a certain speed through the 500. We were definitely there. We knew that we were in it. The U.S. women, we’re good at walking in the middle of the race, so that was really our game plan.”

Their performance showed the importance of trusting the work done throughout the season and executing together when it mattered most.

Beckie Leigh and Kristen Siermachesky: Learning From the Opportunity

* Kristen Siermanchesky and teammates practicing in gloves leading up to the world champs.

The Crew Stop athletes Beckie Leigh of New Zealand and Kristen Siermachesky of Canada also competed in Amsterdam. Both athletes raced in the quad and eight for their respective countries.

For Beckie, who rowed at Stanford, the experience reinforced the importance of adaptability and making the most of every opportunity on the international stage.

“This World Champs I learnt that you’ve got to make the most of every opportunity and you’ve got to be adaptable. Whether it be a race or a time trial, each is an opportunity to step into the next round and compete on the world stage.”

Kristen, a 2024 Olympian who rowed collegiately at UNC, echoed the importance of using World Championships as a learning experience, especially with the key Olympic qualification years ahead.

“This year being in the quad and eight was extremely exciting. We went there to challenge the international competition and place ourselves in the pack for the key years to come. Sometimes you don’t leave World Championships with exactly what you came for, but you always leave with something super valuable: a clearer understanding of what you’re capable of and what it will take to get there.”

For athletes competing at the highest level, every race provides another opportunity to learn, adjust, and build toward the next season.

Lisa Gutfleisch: Taking on a New Challenge

* Lisa Gutfleisch (bow seat)

Lisa Gutfleisch of Germany competed in the double at a World Championships for the first time this year. Lisa originally started wearing The Crew Stop gloves during her collegiate career at the University of Texas and has continued using them in Germany, particularly as she switches between sweep and sculling.

At the 2026 World Championships, Lisa finished second in the B-final of the double and fifth in the mixed eight. For Lisa, racing the double brought a new challenge and a new opportunity to build a strong partnership with her teammate Sarah.

“Took on a new challenge this season and I loved every second of it. The double is such a fun boat to be in: It’s responsive and technically challenging but even better is the close partnership you get to build. Sarah and I morphed so well we basically became one person, to the point where people were confusing our names almost every day.”

Looking Ahead

Whether you are racing at the World Championships or lining up for a local regatta, there is something to learn from every race and every athlete.

The reflections from Amsterdam had a common theme: adaptability, consistency, and making the most of every opportunity. From adjusting to changing wind conditions to transitioning between erging and on-water training, small adjustments and adaptability throughout a season can make a big difference when it is time to race.

For The Crew Stop, we are proud to support athletes competing at every level of the sport; from local regattas to the international stage.