Jovana Arsić wins European single sculls bronze in Varese

Jovana Arsić won bronze in the women's single sculls at the European Championships in Varese. The Serbian rower held third place throughout the final.

Arsić crossed the finish in 7:21.58. Lauren Henry of Britain won gold, while Viktorija Senkute of Lithuania finished second.

Arsić protected third place from the opening section

The Serbian boat settled into third during the early part of the race. Arsić maintained that position through each measured section.

Senkute led the field through the first half. Henry was fourth after five hundred metres and moved into second by the halfway mark.

The British rower then increased her speed during the second half. She passed Senkute and created the winning margin before the finish.

Arsić remained behind the leading pair without losing contact with the medal positions. Her rhythm protected the gap over the chasing boats.

The finish order did not change during the final sprint. Henry won, Senkute took silver and Arsić completed the podium.

A time of 7:21.58 confirmed the Serbian result. The bronze came from a stable race rather than a late move from outside the medals.

The medal continued a strong 2026 season

Arsić entered Varese after winning a World Cup event in Plovdiv. That victory had already shown her speed against senior international opposition.

Nebojša Ilić coaches the Serbian single sculler. Their season has included both a World Cup win and a European podium.

The two results came in different racing situations. Plovdiv ended with victory, while Varese required Arsić to protect third behind a changing lead.

Single sculls leave every technical decision with one athlete. The rower controls steering, rhythm and the timing of the final effort.

Arsić kept those elements steady through the final. She did not lose the medal position when Henry increased the pace ahead.

Jovana Arsić competes in the women's single sculls.

The bronze adds another medal to Arsić's productive season. She had already won a World Cup race in Plovdiv.

Varese delivered her third European medal

Arsić first won European bronze at Bled in 2023. She then became European champion in Szeged during the following season.

The Varese bronze is her third medal at senior European Championships. The collection now includes one gold and two bronzes.

Repeated podiums show performance across different venues and conditions. Each final required a separate race rather than relying on an earlier result.

The latest medal followed a final where Arsić remained third from start to finish. Her previous gold came through a winning performance in Szeged.

Those outcomes give the Serbian rower a varied continental record. She has both led a final and defended a medal place under pressure.

Varese now joins Bled and Szeged in that record. The third medal arrived through a time slightly above seven minutes and twenty seconds.

Serbian rowing completed a successful championship

Serbia entered two boats in the main medal races and both reached the podium. Arsić supplied the women's single sculls result.

Lauren Henry won in 7:15.11, while Viktorija Senkute finished in 7:19.22. Arsić followed them across the line in third. Nikolaj Pimenov and Martin Mačković had already secured another Serbian medal by winning their final.

Her bronze added to the success already recorded by the Serbian team. The combined results gave the delegation medals in separate boat classes.

Arsić's final remained an individual contest from the first stroke. She managed her own pace while following the changing order ahead.

Henry's second-half move decided the gold. Senkute retained silver, and Arsić prevented any challenge from behind changing the bronze.

The clear order at the finish supported the official result. Serbia received another European medal from one of its most experienced current rowers.

Jovana Arsić leaves Varese with the third continental medal of her career. Her 2026 season now contains a World Cup win and European bronze.

Bronze followed a race with a stable medal order

Arsić entered the first timing point in third place. She remained there while the two leading boats changed order ahead.

Senkute led the early part of the final. Henry increased her speed later and moved past the Lithuanian before the finish.

Those changes did not remove Arsić from the medal positions. She kept enough distance over the rowers behind her through the final section.

The Serbian crossed in 7:21.58. Her time placed her behind Senkute and ahead of the chasing rowers.

The result added another medal to a season that already included a World Cup victory. It also became her third European medal.

Arsić won bronze in 2023 and gold in 2024. The Varese result extended that continental record across three different championships.

Single sculls leaves pacing and steering to one athlete. Arsić managed both while protecting third place from the opening section to the line.