Rowers to Watch at the 2023 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Barletta

With the international classic racing over for this year, focus now moves on the fast-growing coastal rowing disciplines. First up is the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals (WRBSF) which will take place from 29 September to 1 October in Barletta, Puglia, Italy. This year’s event has attracted a record number of 187 crews with nine of the 39 nations attending competing at a WRBSF for the first time.

The entries include the familiar names of seasoned coastal rowers, some newcomers, and some familiar names from flat water rowing too. Ahead of racing beginning we have taken a look at the entries, and here are our ones to watch…

Coastal Women’s Solo (CW1x)

The 28 entries in this boat class includes Olympians, seasoned beach sprint rowers, and some new faces. Fresh from Olympic qualification in the lightweight women’s double sculls a few weeks ago in Belgrade, New Zealand’s Jackie Kiddle will certainly be one to keep an eye on. However, while Kiddle was in Belgrade, some of her fellow Olympians were at the European Rowing Beach Sprint Championships and she will therefore need to keep an eye on France’s Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino and Monika Dukarska of Ireland who took gold and bronze respectively at the Europeans. The silver medallists from the Europeans, Janneke van der Meulen, will also be out for revenge after she missed out on gold by just 0.18 seconds. Watch out too for Great Britain’s Clare Jamison who won silver in the mixed double sculls at last year’s World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals but missed out on the semifinals at this year’s European’s after being awarded a time penalty.

Coastal Men’s Solo (CM1x)

The men’s solo is by far the biggest boat class of the event with a whopping 37 nations represented, and it is stacked with talent. All four semifinalists from the recent European Rowing Beach Sprints will be back in action including the gold medallist, Giovanni Ficarra, who will hope that his home waters might give him a boost and allow him to repeat his success from 2021 when he was World Champion. Last year, Ficarra combined his coastal rowing with flat water rowing while this year his focus has been on the coastal disciplines. He is likely to be up against stiff competition from the reigning World Champion in this boat class though, Christopher Bak of the USA. Keep an eye too on Czechia’s Ales Susky, who took silver at the recent Europeans and Karl Schulze of Germany. And of course, it would be wrong to overlook Spain’s Adrian Miarmon Quiroga who has been a force to be reckoned with in the endurance format for many years but also picked up silver in the mixed double sculls at the Europeans earlier this month.

Coastal Mixed Double Sculls (CMix2x)

It’s the return of Spain’s Ander Martin! He’s won gold in this boat class for the last two years and will undoubtedly be looking to make it a hat trick. He’s got a new teammate this year, Nadia Felipe Garcia. However, the boat from France is also on a mission; Edwigle Alfred has won a medal at all three editions of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, the most recent two with this year’s partner in the mixed double, Ludovic Dubuis. Canada’s lineup is also the same as last year, Sarah Pigden and Aubrey Oldham finished fourth in 2022 so will be hoping to make the podium this year. Watch out too for the British boat. While it is a different line-up to the one that won silver in this boat class at last year’s Beach Sprint Finals, the crew of Laura McKenzie and Sam Scrimgeour are out for redemption. They were one of the favourites at the Europeans after posting the fastest time in the time trial, but a capsize in the quarterfinals threw their progression off track and they missed out a medal altogether.

Coastal Mixed Quadruple Sculls (CMix4x+)

Spain is undoubtedly a nation to watch and particularly in this boat class – where they have never failed to win a medal. They come to the 2023 Beach Sprint Finals looking to make it three consecutive years as World Champions in the CMix4x+. However, it is a completely different line-up to last year. New Zealand took silver last year however also has a new line-up, with the exception of their cox, Matthew Dunham, who himself is a lightweight sculler. While it may be a new line-up for New Zealand, it is stacked with Olympic talent, including double Olympian, Michael Brake, and 2012 Olympic gold medallist and double World Champion Joseph Sullivan. But will that experience from the flat waters transfer across to the sea? They’ll need to keep an eye on the boat from the USA which has several returners from the bronze medal-winning line-up in 2022, and also France, which has two returners from the boat that finished fourth last year.

Coastal Under 19 Men’s Solo (CJM1x)

The gold and bronze medallists from the recent European Rowing Beach Sprint Championships will come to Barletta to see what they can do on the World stage. As part of a strong Italian delegation, sixteen-year-old Lucio Fugazzotto became European Rowing Champion just a few weeks ago, when he beat Spain’s Marcos Delgado Marquez (who will race in the mixed double, but not the solo in Barletta). Meanwhile, France’s Geoffrey Guillon, who took bronze at the Europeans will be keen to be on the medal podium once again. They’ll want to keep an eye out for Malachi Anderson of the USA who, having won silver in the U19 men’s double sculls last year, has switched into the solo this year to see what he can do on his own.

Coastal Under 19 Women’s Solo (CJW1x)

It’s hard to look beyond Tunisia’s Hela Belhaje Mohamed in this one. Under 19 events have only been included in the most Beach Sprint Finals since 2021, and she has won gold in this boat class on both occasions – not to mention a bronze in the mixed double sculls on both occasions also. However, it is expected that she’ll see opposition from Great Britain’s Evelyn Pakule who became European Rowing Beach Sprint Champion in this boat class a few weeks ago and will be keen to add World Champion to that honour. On that occasion, Pakule beat Italy’s Maria Lanciano, who will hope that racing on Italian waters and with an Italian crowd on the beach might give her some home advantage.

Coastal Under 19 Men’s Double Sculls (CJM2x)

Spain has won gold in this boat class since U19 events were added to the Beach Sprint Finals programme back in 2021, they’ll definitely be looking to make it a hat-trick. While it is a different line-up to previous years, Manuel Vera Montesinos did win a silver in the U19 mixed double sculls in Wales last year so has had a taste of success. Other than that, the field is absolutely wide open so it will be interesting to see how things unfold as the crews make their way through the rounds of racing in Barletta.

Coastal Under 19 Women’s Double Sculls (CJW2x)

The American duo of Annelise Hahl and Annalie Duncomb, who claimed bronze in this boat class last year are back to see if they can improve on it this year. Other than them, the field is fairly open with the boats from Great Britain and Germany each having one rower who raced in the solo at the 2022 European Rowing Beach Sprint Championships. Both of the athletes in the Italian boat raced in the women’s eight at the World Rowing U19 Championships earlier this season.

Coastal Under 19 Mixed Double Sculls (CJMix2x)

There is plenty of pedigree in this boat class. The Tunisian rowers Ahmed Talbi and Hela Belhaje Mohamed will both race in their respective solo categories and then come together in the mixed double sculls where they have a run of medals to maintain, Meanwhile, Aurore Combes brings plenty of experience to the French boat having won this boat class at the 2021 World and taken silver at the Europeans in 2021 and 2022. As is so often the case in these boat classes, Spain will be one to keep an eye on. Both Marcos Delgado Marquez and Lola Garcia Juan have stacks of experience with Marcos having won gold in the CJM2x at last year’s Worlds in Wales. Keep an eye too on the boats from Great Britain and Germany both with experience from last year’s Worlds on board.

PR3 Coastal Mixed Double Sculls (PR3 CMix2x)

The 2023 event will see the PR3 CMix 2x included in the schedule as an inclusion event. While the boat class is not a part of the World Championship programme yet, it will be fantastic to see the four boats from Australia, Great Britain, Italy and Turkiye take to the beach sprint course.