ST. CATHARINES, Ontario – Rutgers women's rowing rising sophomore Chiara Saccomando won a bronze medal representing the Germany 8+ at the 2024 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Canada from August 18-25.

Rutgers has now had representation and medalists at the U23 World Championships in each year since 2018 (excluding the COVID-canceled 2020). Six different athletes have won medals since '18.

• 2018: Sarah Johanek (Gold for U.S. 4+)
• 2019: Ella Toa (Gold for Great Britain 4x)
• 2021: Femke Paulis (Silver for Netherlands 8+)
• 2022: Femke Paulis (Gold for Netherlands 4x) and Hannah Heideveld (Gold for U.S. 8+)
• 2023: Victoria Grieder & Hannah Heiderveld (Gold for U.S. 8+)
• 2024: Chiara Saccomando (Bronze for Germany 8+)

The World Rowing Championships attract nearly 1,000 of the best rowers under the age of 23 as it sets out to be the top event for young rowers across the globe. This was Saccomando's second appearance at the U23 World Championships after winning silver in the eight in 2023.
 
The Freiburg, Germany native was named the Rutgers Freshman of the Year in 2024. Saccomando worked her way into the stroke seat of the 2nd Varsity 8 during championship season of the 2024 campaign. She helped lead Rutgers' 2V8 to a silver medal at the Big Ten Championships, where they kept a close pace with No. 9 Michigan throughout the first 1,500 meters of the 2,000-meter race before the Wolverines pulled ahead at the finish. The medal-winning performance helped RU place third in the conference as a team, tying their best Big Ten finish. At the NCAA Championships, the 2V8 led their C final at the 500 and 1,000-meter checkpoints before Syracuse pulled just a seat or two ahead down the stretch for a 1.1-second margin of victory at the line. Rutgers matched its 14th-place national finish from last spring, finishing second in their C final.
 
Saccomando became the seventh Rutgers rower to be trained and developed by Scarlet Knights' head coach Justin Price on the way to national team notoriety at the U23 World Championships, joining Victoria Grieder, Hannah Heideveld, Femke Paulis, Karin Brandner, Sarah Johanek, and Ella Toa.
 
 
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