Spanish domination at the 2022 European Rowing Coastal & Beach Sprint Championships

The inaugural 2022 European Rowing Coastal & Beach Sprint Championships took place this past weekend, in San Sebastian, part of Spain’s Basque Country. With 27 nations represented across both formats of racing, Spain asserted their dominance in the Coastal rowing discipline once again. The host nation topped the medal table in both the Endurance and Beach Sprint format, coming away with a total of 18 medals.

Coastal Championships

Two levels of competition were available in the endurance format: National Team, and Club. The National Team races had three boat classes – the MCM1x, the MCW1x, and the MCMix2x.

In the National Team Women’s Solo, a direct final with 19 boats, Sweden’s Maria Berg seemed to have the win in the bag. But with a beach finish, Austria’s Chiara Halama, who was hot on Berg’s heels, was able to sprint across the line on the beach first to claim the gold. Berg had to settle for silver, while Netherlands’ Janneke van der Meulen took the bronze.

An experienced coastal rower, Adrian Miramon Quiroga claimed the lead fast and early on in the final of the National Team Men’s Solo. Miramon Quiroga won the World title just a few weeks ago in Great Britain. He crossed the line first, adding the European title to his collection. France’s Alexis Fortier crossed the line in second, and Monaco’s Quentin Antognelli in third.

In the National Team Mixed Double, France’s Edwige Alfred and Ludovic Dubuis took the title, with Spain’s Teresa Diaz Moreno and Adolfo Carlos Ferrer Marin in second, and Dutch couple Janneke van der Meulen and Mitchel Steenman in third.

Beach Sprint Championships

The second half of the event featured the Beach Sprints format. With 16 nations represented, 10 finished on the medal table. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Esther Briz Zamorano and Ander Martin Domingo continued their dominance of the Coastal Mixed Double, and took the win in the A-Final over Edwige Alfred and Ludovic Dubuis of France. This two crews have faced each other numerous times in the Last 8 over the past two years. The German Sauter siblings won the B-Final against Italy for the bronze.

In the Men’s Solo, it was Zygimantas Galisanskis who took the gold over Spain’s Carlos Gonzalez Buzon. Czech rower Ales Susky won the B-Final to take the bronze.

After the racing had to be cut short at the 2022 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals the other week in Wales due to weather (and winners decided based on previous results), Spain’s Teresa Diaz Moreno was thrilled to be able to race against World bronze medallist Michala Pospisilova. Diaz Moreno won the title, Pospisiliva had to settle for the silver. Great Britain’s Rosa Thomson won the bronze.

In the Under 19 boat classes, France and Italy both left their marks, leaving with a gold and a silver for France, and two bronzes for Italy.

2023 ANOC World Beach Games – Continental Qualification Event

This event will also served as a qualification event for the 2023 ANOC WBG. The quota places in all qualification regattas are allocated to the NOC(s) and the NOC may enter a boat with different athletes at the ANOC World Beach Games than those who qualified the boat.

The two (2) highest ranked boats per event in the Continental Qualification regatta will earn one (1) quota place for their NOC in the respective event, respecting the maximum quota allocation per NOC per event as specified in section B, paragraph 2.

The qualified boats will be confirmed shortly.