Women's 1x: 'Fighters Coming From All Angles'

The women's champ single at this year's Head Of The Charles is shaping up to be "the event of the regatta," according to Michelle Sechser, though she admits that she "might be biased" in making that assessment, as she is the two-time defending champion in the race.

Biased she may be, Sechser is definitely not wrong. The depth of the field in this weekend's race is something one might expect to see at the Olympics, a World Cup, or the World Championships.

"This is by far the fastest, strongest field I've ever been on the start list for, and it's also the most depth and speed that the champ single at the Head Of The Charles has had in its entire history," Sechser said. "It's definitely unique because, in the past, Emma Twigg has come, and we've had one or two heavy hitters from the international scene, but this year, the depth just extends so far beyond that."

 

The first ten bow numbers all bring national team experience to the race. Eight different countries will be represented, with scullers from the United States, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Ukraine, and Greece competing for the Cambridge Boat Club Trophy and $10,000 in first-place prize money.

There are two reigning singles world champions in the field, as well as the reigning Olympic singles gold medalist. Sechser won the lightweight single at last month's World Championships in Shanghai, Ireland's Fiona Murtagh won the open single, and Karolien Florijn of the Netherlands won Olympic gold in the single last year in Paris.

Other notable names in Saturday's race are Great Britain's Imogen Grant, the reigning Olympic champion in the lightweight double; Azja Czajkowski and Teal Cohen, one-half of the American four that won a gold medal in Shanghai; and Emily Kallfelz, the women's champ single winner at the 2022 Head of the Charles, the year before Sechser began her current reign as champion.

Sechser described it as "fighters coming from all angles in this field."

Her sister world champion feels that's what makes it fun. "To be able to race it in an event with so many incredible female rowers is so cool, and I'm really excited," Murtagh said. "I'm looking forward to being in the midst of that."

 

Murtagh hasn't rowed in the Head Of The Charles since winning back-to-back titles in the Women's Club Four while rowing for Fordham in 2013 and 2014.

"It's been a while and I haven't done it in a single before, so a lot of new challenges to come with that," she said.

Murtagh lived in the Boston area for a bit after graduating from Fordham, and is excited to return to the banks of the Charles River and reconnect with friends this weekend.

"Boston this time of year is stunning. I'm looking forward to soaking it all up, both on and off the water, seeing people, and having fun," Murtagh said.

For both Murtagh and Sechser, this will be their first race since winning in Shanghai less than a month ago.

"It's such a quick turnaround from Shanghai, and normally at this time of year we'd be taking a little bit of rest and recoup time after the World Championships," she said. "But I was able to come home from China and take about a week or two to rest and recover from that before getting back in the boat and starting to prep for this weekend's regatta."

It has been a bit of a whirlwind coming back to this side of the globe for Sechser, who noted that the weather in Shanghai was a lot different than it's been around Cambridge over the past week.

"It was a bit of a shock to go from the 100-degree humidity in China, and suddenly I was in Boston and we're here with a nor'easter, and we're rowing 5k distances and practicing our bridge turns," she said. "But as soon as I got back on the water here, and I saw the Regatta tents are all going up and the vendors are starting to arrive, it's so fun to feel the excitement building for this weekend, not just for the race, but everything that the Head Of The Charles has as an experience, as a reunion, as a regatta with something to offer for everyone."

Both Murtagh and Sechser noted that the strength of this year's competition says a lot about the Head Of The Charles as a whole.

"It's such a high caliber event and it's getting the recognition that I think the Charles deserves with so many incredible female athletes looking to compete at it," Murtagh said.

"I think that's a huge testament, not just to what a great regatta that the Charles puts on, in terms of being able to attract and draw international athletes from all around the globe, but also when they introduced the prize money," said Sechser, who hopes to win the champ singles' prize of $10,000 for the third straight year.

"How fun it is that it draws top talent, everyone from world champions to reigning Olympic champions onto the start list. I'm really grateful for both of those things because I can't think of anything better than getting to race a couple dozen of the best scullers on the entire globe."

https://www.row2k.com/hocr/features/2025/4577/womens-1x-fighters-coming-from-all-angles/