Michelle Sechser won gold in lightweight women’s single sculls at the 2025 World Rowing Championships for the first time in her career.
The 38-year-old overcame Mexico’s Kenia Lechuga over the third 500m, pulling ahead by a full length to finish in 7:30.14. Sechser set the fastest times in the heats and semifinals at 7:33.64 and 8:01.20, respectively.
The University of Tulsa alumna is a seasoned member of the U.S. rowing team, competing on 13 national teams and at two Olympic Games. She previously secured two silver medals in lightweight women’s doubles sculls at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, as well as a bronze in 2017.
Lechuga (7:32.23), who won two World Rowing Cups this season, fell to third after China’s Pan Dandan (7:30.45) sprinted to silver. Pan’s medal is China’s first-ever medal in the race, while Lechuga earned her second medal in the event after claiming silver at the 2023 World Championships.
Siobhan McCrohan of Ireland placed fourth with Austria’s Lara Tiefenthaler coming in fifth ahead of Individual Neutral Athlete Mariia Zhovner.
