The Gold Cup Challenge
The Philadelphia Challenge Cup event, otherwise known as “The Gold Cup,” began in 1920, during the heyday of Philadelphia rowing. The event pitted the best amateur male single scullers in the world against each other. Philadelphia’s own John B. Kelly Sr. was the first recipient. The contest, and the cup, disappeared in the early 1960s, only to reemerge in 2011 after a 50-year hiatus. A private group of Philadelphia rowing enthusiasts rediscovered the Gold Cup and reinstated the event and tradition to its rightful place in single scull rowing prominence, with the positive expansion of the competition to women.
Course
The course for the Gold Cup is a sprint race on the Cooper River in Camden, New Jersey.
2024 Purse
Prize money of $16,000 will be awarded to the Champion; $12,000 for second place, $8,000 for third place and $4,000 for fourth place. A Gold Cup medal will be given to each winner, and his and her names will be inscribed on the base of the historic Gold Cup, alongside of some of history’s greatest single scullers.
Travel, Hotel & Spectators
You can also find detailed information about the best place to watch the race; as well as, information about our Festival Tent, at https://www.camdencounty.com/service/parks/cooper-river-park/
Athletes:
WOMEN
- Emma Twigg (NZD) the Olympic Silver medalist and defending Gold Cup women’s champion.
- Karolian Florijn (NED) the Olympic Gold medalist
- Viktorija Senkute (LIT) Olympic Bronze medalist
- Kara Kohler (USA) reigning Lotman Champion and 5th place Olympian
- Melvin Twellaar (NED) Olympic Silver medalist in the 2X and reigning Gold Cup Champion
- Oliver Zeidler (GER) Olympic Gold medalist
- Simon van Dorp (NED) Olympic Bronze medalist
- Tim Brys (BEL) 4th place Olympian
2023 Gold Cup Winners
Men
| Place | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Melvin Twellaar (NED) | 02:22.040 |
| 2nd | Simon van Dorp (NED) | 02:23.680 |
| 3rd | Thomas Mackintosh (NZL) | 02:24.270 |
| 4th | Oliver Zeidler (GER) | 02:24.500 |
Women
| Place | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Emma Twigg (NZL) | 02:33.942 |
| 2nd | Karolien Florijn (NED) | 02:36.516 |
| 3rd | Desislava Angelova (BUL) | 02:39.108 |
| 4th | Kara Kohler (USA) | 02:39.558 |
2022 Gold Cup Winners
Men
| Place | Bow | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Melvin Twellaar (NED) | 02:33.912 |
| 2nd | 1 | Graeme Thomas (GBR) | 02:35.474 |
| 3rd | 4 | Kjetl Borch (NOR) | 02:36.1070 |
| 4th | 2 | Oliver Zeidler (DEU) | 02:41.492 |
Women
| Place | Bow | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Emma Twigg (NZL) | 02:48.683 |
| 2nd | 2 | Karolien Florjin (NED) | 02:51.046 |
| 3rd | 4 | Hannah Scott (GBR) | 02:56.626 |
| 4th | 1 | Tara Rigney (AUS) | 02:57.7400 |
2019 Gold Cup Winners
Men
| Place | Bow | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | Kjetil Borch (Norway) | 2:32.966 |
| 2nd | 1 | Sverri Neilsen (Denmark) | 2:33.606 |
| 3rd | 2 | Mindaugas Griskonis (Lithuania) | 2:35.496 |
| 4th | 4 | Robbie Manson (New Zealand) | 2:37.848 |
Women
| Place | Bow | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Emma Twigg (New Zealand) | 2:51.4115 |
| 2nd | 4 | Kara Kohler (USA) | 2:54.189 |
| 3rd | 3 | Sanita Puspure (Ireland) | 2:54.816 |
| 4th | 4 | Hannah Osborne (New Zealand) | 2:57.878 |
2018 Gold Cup Winners
Men
| Place | Bow | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Robbie Manson – NZL | 2:12.582 |
| 2nd | 3 | Darmir Martin – CRO | 2:12.639 |
| 3rd | 2 | Kjetil Borch – NOR | 2:12.804 |
| 4th | 4 | Olli Zeidler – GER | 2:19.530 |
Women
| Place | Bow | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Hannah Osborne – NZL | 2:28.308 |
| 2nd | 4 | Carling Zeeman – CAN | 2:28.927 |
| 3rd | 3 | Sanita Puspure – IRL | 2:31.781 |
| 4th | 2 | Kara Kohler – USA | 2:33.606 |
Previous Gold Cup Winners
The celebrated names of the international rowing elite have since been engraved on the Gold Cup.
- 1920 John B. Kelly (Vesper – United States)
- 1922 Walter M. Hoover (Duluth Boat Club – United States)
- 1923 W.E. Garrett Gilmore (Bachelors Barge – United States)
- 1924 Paul V. Costello (Vesper – United States)
- 1924 Jack Beresford (England)
- 1925 Jack Beresford (England)
- 1928 H.R. Pearce (Australia)
- 1935 Charles A. Campbell (Canada)
- 1936 Gustav Schaefer (Germany)
- 1940 Joseph W. Burk (Penn A.C.R.A. – United States)
- 1948 Mervyn Wood (Australia)
- 1950 Mervyn Wood (Australia)
- 1952 Jurij Tjukalov (Soviet Union)
- 1956 Vyacheslav Ivanov (Soviet Union)
- 1958 Vyacheslav Ivanov (Soviet Union)
- 1960 Vyacheslav Ivanov (Soviet Union)
- 1962 Vyacheslav Ivanov (Soviet Union)
- 1964 Vyacheslav Ivanov (Soviet Union)
- 1966 Don Spero (NYAC – United States)
- 2011 Mirka Knapkova (Czech Republic), Iztok Čop (Slovenia)
- 2014 Kim Brennan (Australia), Kjetil Borch (Norway)
- 2015 Kim Brennan (Australia), Kjetil Borch (Norway)
- 2016 Kim Brennan (Australia), Damir Martin (Croatia)
Video from the 2023 Gold Cup Challenge
Interview with Kjetil Borch
11/18/2021
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Interview with Hannah Osborne of NZL!
10/29/2021
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Interview with Damir Martin
10/15/2021
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Interview with Emma Twigg
10/12/2021
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Interview with Kara Kohler
12/24/2020
Interview with Sanita Puspure
12/17/20
Interview with Mahe Drysdale
5/28/20
Interview with Damir Martin
5/21/20
Interview with Kjetil Borch
5/19/20
Melvin Twellaar (NED)
Olympic Silver medalist in the 2X and reigning Gold Cup Champion
Emma Twigg (NZD)
Olympic Silver medalist and defending Gold Cup women’s champion.