SALY, Senegal – The first day of rowing competition at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games brought a new sporting experience to Saly Beach West, as young athletes took to the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in an Olympic event.

With Rowing Coastal Beach Sprints making their Youth Olympic Games debut ahead of the discipline’s first appearance at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, Saturday’s racing offered an early taste of what makes the format so compelling: head-to-head racing, challenging waves, fast turns around the buoys and a sprint across the beach to the finish.

Camilla Griffin in between efforts at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games © World Rowing/Benedict Tufnell

For Australia’s Camilla Griffin, who finished fifth in the women’s time trials to qualify for the next round, the sport’s unpredictability is part of its appeal.

“I love this sport. I embrace the chaos. You have to give in to it,” Griffin said. Things can go wrong navigating the buoys, or you can get pushed over by a wave. It’s about how you recover. In this sport, you can’t have a perfect race plan.”

That sense of camaraderie was another feature of the opening day.

Isaac Moos racing for Team USA on Day 1 of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games © World Rowing/Benedict Tufnell

Isaac Moos (USA) has enjoyed the atmosphere among the athletes, describing a different dynamic from the more traditional rowing environment he knows at home.

“I love the atmosphere,” he said. “In the USA, in other forms of rowing, it is cutthroat. You wouldn’t hang out with rival teams. Here we hang out with everyone. I love that.”

El Hadj Malick Lo of Senegal in action in the Men’s Solo on home sand © World Rowing/Benedict Tufnell

For Senegal, hosting the competition is also an opportunity to introduce a new generation to the sport and showcase the country’s relationship with the water.

“This is a wonderful day for us,” said Cheikh Moubarack Wade, president of Senegal Rowing. “We are very proud to welcome this kind of event to Africa. We are showing what Senegal has to offer. We have over 700 kilometres of beautiful coastline here.

“We are a country that knows all about boats, but we are new to coastal rowing and these boats. Our athletes have been training for just one year. We want to continue developing this beautiful sport.”

Mouselimis looking to add to remarkable 2026

Iason Mouselimis of Greece racing the Men’s Solo at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games © World Rowing/Benedict Tufnell

Among the athletes making an impression on the water was Greece’s Iason Mouselimis, who finished first in the men’s time trials.

The 17-year-old arrived in Dakar with an impressive collection of results already behind him. In 2026, he has won the men’s single sculls titles at both the World Rowing Under 19 Championships and the European Rowing Under 19 Championships, as well as the European Beach Sprint Championships. He also claimed silver at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals.

“This year was amazing,” Mouselimis said. “I have one more race here in Dakar and hopefully everything goes well.

“Mainly I want to have fun, as I have done all year in flatwater and beach sprints. It’s taken a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, a lot of will.”

With experience in both traditional flatwater rowing and beach sprints, Mouselimis has already shown unusual versatility. And with Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon, the young Greek is beginning to consider which discipline might offer his best opportunity to reach the Olympic stage.

“It’s a very hard question,” he said. “I haven’t thought too much about it. They are both called rowing, but they are completely different sports. One is more explosive. Flatwater is smoother and highly aerobic to stay consistent. But I will have to decide.

“I like the fun of beach. It is not as stressful as flatwater. Here we help each other and enjoy the music.”

For now, Mouselimis and his fellow competitors have another race to focus on in Dakar, where beach sprints are giving a new generation of rowers, and a new audience, a different way to experience the sport.

Embrace the Chaos: Beach Sprints Make Dakar Debut

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