The Princess Royal Challenge Cup is a rowing event for women's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to all eligible female scullers.
History
In 1982 an invitation exhibition event for women's singles was added to the race programme. The start for this event was moved to Fawley so that the course was closer to 1000 m. As the intermediate start installations were required for the shorter distance, the races had to take place during intervals in the normal racing programme (the lunch or tea breaks) which meant that only the dedicated stayed to watch.
In the end, the final of the Women's Invitation Single was a highlight of the regatta, with Beryl Mitchell of Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club (World Silver medallist in 1981) beating Stephanie Foster of Waiariki Rowing Club, New Zealand (World Bronze medallist in 1982) by one length.
Women's singles disappeared off the race programme until 1993 when an open Women's Single Sculls event, over the full course, was introduced. From 1993 to 1996 this counted as a round of the FISA World Cup.
The first winner was Maria Brandin of Sweden and she subsequently won a further four times. In 1996, the Stewards purchased a silver cup as a challenge trophy and named it the Princess Royal Challenge Cup; it was presented for the first time in 1997. Henley Royal Regatta - Results
Winners As Invitation Single Sculls Invitation Single Sculls (Women's 1x)YearWinnerClubRunner-upClubref1982 Beryl Mitchell Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club Stephanie Foster Waiariki RC, NZL
As Princess Royal Challenge Cup Princess Royal Challenge Cup (Women's Open 1x)YearWinnerClubRunner-upClubref 1993 Maria Brandin Kungalv Roddklubb, SWEAnnelies BredaelTrim-en RC, BEL 1994 Marnie McBean Western Middlesex RC, CANKathrin BoronPotsdam, GER 1995 Maria Brandin Kungalv Roddklubb, SWESilken LaumannVictoria City, CAN 1996 Maria Brandin Kungalv Roddklubb, SWECarolina LüthiReuss, Lucerne, SWI 1997 Maria Brandin Kungalv Roddklubb, SWEGuin BattenThames Rowing Club 1998 Maria Brandin Kungalv Roddklubb, SWEGeorgina DouglasMercantile Rowing Club, AUS 1999 Katrin Rutschow-StomporowskiRC Wannsee Berlin, GERMaria BrandinKungalv Roddklubb, SWE 2000 Debbie Flood Tideway Scullers SchoolMaria BrandinLeander Club 2001 Ekaterina KarstenMinsk City Club, BLR Katrin Rutschow-StomporowskiRaW Berlin e.V 2002 Rumyana Neykova Club Academic, BULKatrin Rutschow-StomporowskiRaW Berlin e.V 2003 Catriona Oliver Australian Institute of Sport, AUSDonna MartinBlack Mountain RC, AUS 2004 Cindy Bishop Riverside Boat Club, USA Rika GeyserTrident RC, RSA 2005 Rumyana Neykova Cherno More Club, BUL Fiona MilneMelbourne University, AUS 2006 Sophie Balmary Club France, FRAMarit van EupenHollandia Roeiclub, NED 2007 Michelle GueretteRadcliffe Crew, Harvard University, USAJen GoldsackWallingford Rowing Club 2008 Caroline RyanGarda Siochana Boat Club, IRLMatilda PaulsImperial College Boat Club 2009 Emma TwiggHawkes Bay Rowing Club, NZL Genevra StoneCambridge Boat Club, USA 2010 Miroslava KnapkováV.K. Slavia Praha, CZEGenevra StoneCambridge Boat Club, USA 2011 Miroslava KnapkováV.K. Slavia Praha, CZEGenevra StoneCambridge Boat Club, USA 2012 Isolda PenneyKingston Rowing Club, CANKaisa PajusaluRC Kalev, EST 2013 Miroslava KnapkováV.K. Slavia Praha, CZEEmma TwiggWaiariki Rowing Club, NZL 2014 Miroslava KnapkováV.K. Slavia Praha, CZEKrisztina GyimesDanubius Nemzeti Hajos Egylet, HUN 2015 Miroslava KnapkováV.K. Slavia Praha, CZELisa ScheenaardHollandia Roeiclub, NED 2016 Lisa ScheenaardHollandia Roeiclub, NEDAnne BeenkenRuderverein Saarbrücken e.V, GER 2017 Annekatrin Thiele SC DHfK Leipzig e.V., GERVictoria ThornleyLeander Club 2018 Jeannine Gmelin RC Uster, SUI Madeleine EdmundsGeorgina Hope Reinhart NTC, AUS 2019 Emma Twigg Hawkes Bay, NZLLisa ScheenaardHollandia Roeiclub, NED 2020 No competition due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Lola Anderson Leander Club Lauren Henry Leicester Rowing Club 2022 Kara Kohler Texas Rowing Center, USA Imogen Grant Cambridge University Boat Club 2023 Diana Dymchenko Rowing Club Baku, Azerbaijan Marta Wieliczko Wisla, Poland2024Liu Ruiqi Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, ChinaCicely MaddenCambridge Boat Club, U.S.A.2025 Lauren Henry Leicester Rowing Club Frida Sanggaard Nielsen Bagsværd Roklub, Denmark
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References