‘Special bond’ international connections bring women’s rowing to the next level
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Emmie Frederico and Australia won the 2022 U23 World Championships’ coxed four by 1.58 seconds ahead of Italy. After hitting the dock, Zoe Acosta and Kamile Kralikaite, Federico’s Syracuse varsity 8 teammates, celebrated the title.
“It was so special to have people from Syracuse there because we spent the whole season rowing together in the 8,” Frederico said. “To be able to share that experience together was one of my favorite parts.”
In Varese, Italy in late July, Frederico, Acosta and Kralikaite competed in the U23 World Rowing Championships, representing Syracuse on a national stage. In addition to Frederico, Acosta represented Uruguay in the women’s 4 while Kralikaite rowed in the 2 for Lithuania at the championships. All three athletes had different experiences at the event but shared the Syracuse connection.
Acosta’s qualification process with Uruguay was different to Frederico and Kralikaite. Uruguay did not have a selection process, but rather, it simply chose the four women who stepped up to race. Acosta’s boat had been racing together since they were 12 years old.
“At that young age, we thought worlds was impossible, but years later we thought ‘wow we are here together, this is so nice,’” Acosta said.
Acosta’s boat finished ninth in the finals, but the act of qualifying for the championships was significant for Uruguay. In the past, only one or two boats qualified, but in 2022, five boats represented Uruguay in Italy.
Acosta recalled one of her fondest memories from the event as supporting Kralikaite in the 2 finals.
“I was cheering so hard and I remember my whole team was cheering for her,” Acosta said. “And they did really well so it made me happy.”
Kralikaite raced alongside now-Syracuse teammate Martyna Kazlauskaite, winning the silver medal. The pair finished behind Greece, but defeated Germany, Canada, Denmark and Italy.
A couple months earlier, Kralikaite, Frederico and Acosta competed in the 2022 NCAA Championships. A quick turnaround followed for the World Championships. After the NCAA Championships, Kralikaite stayed in Syracuse for a week before traveling home to Lithuania. She had just three days to prepare for qualification trials and to find a partner.
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Kralikaite was paired with Kazlauskaite, who committed to Syracuse shortly after the World Championships, because of their success as a pair.
“At trials we did pretty well,” Kralikaite said. “It wasn’t amazing, but for our first time together it went pretty well.”
In Italy, Kralikaite didn’t know what to expect with only three weeks to prepare. Kralikaite said she and Kazlauskaite “didn’t really have expectations,” noting they had speed, but not as much compared to other boats. In the first two rounds of the championship, the Lithuanian pair qualified for the A final. In the preliminary heats, they had the fourth fastest time, but won silver in the final.
“We didn’t expect at all second place,” Kralikaite said. “It was a big achievement and our first world medals.”
In addition to Acosta and Frederico, Syracuse men’s rowing head coach Dave Reischman and assistant women’s coach Claire Ochal attended the event, supporting the two. Kralikaite often sported SU gear in warmups, showing her pride, but also because of how powerful it made her feel.
“It’s so amazing to know that you’re not only representing your country, but you also have this other big community across the ocean cheering you on,” Kralikaite said.
Frederico accomplished the highest feat, bringing home the gold medal in the coxed 4. Frederico vividly remembered the final 150 meters where Australia had a lead and the coxswain said to “enjoy the moment and soak it all in.”
On the path to gold, Frederico’s crew faced multiple challenges. One rower broke multiple ribs and another had to fly home and back because of a family emergency.
“The adversity made us a stronger crew because we knew we couldn’t have done all the training everyone else got to do,” Frederico said. “We just had to have that special kind of connection and trust in each other that we could do what we knew we could do.”
At the championships, it became easy for the trio to connect, despite the busy race day schedules. The Australia, Lithuania and Uruguay tents were all in the same area. Kralikaite remembered the Uruguayan team chanting her name multiple times. Federico also saw videos of the Uruguayan and Lithuanian teams supporting her — evidence of a relationship built well ahead of the championships.
“We had created such a special bond,” Frederico said.
