Samoa's First Continental Medal Caps Pacific Coastal Rowing Camp on the Gold Coast

Pacific rowers take another step towards LA 2028 at Gold Coast beach sprints

Forty-eight athletes and coaches from across the Pacific came together on Australia’s Gold Coast for a Coastal Rowing development camp and the 2026 Australian and Oceania Beach Sprint Rowing Championships.

A Samoan performance helped define the event when Alia Marquardt took bronze in the women’s Under 19 double on Currumbin Creek, Samoa’s first continental rowing medal at the 2026 Australian and Oceania Beach Sprint Rowing Championships, racing alongside Lily Canfield of Gippsland Grammar in Australia.

The medal capped a coastal rowing development camp held from 30 August to 6 September, bringing together athletes and coaches from American Samoa, French Polynesia, Samoa and Vanuatu. It provided coaching, racing experience, and a pathway to coastal rowing’s Olympic debut at LA 2028.

The camp was delivered by World Rowing, the Oceania Rowing Confederation and Rowing Australia, with support from the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s PacificAus Sports programme.

Building Skills On and Off the Water

From 31 August to 2 September, athletes trained in coastal singles and doubles (C1x and C2x) with World Rowing development coaches Sizwe Ndlovu and Kevin Scott, as well as Rowing Australia coaches.

The programme went well beyond the water. Participants also took part in:

• A Coach the Coach programme featuring the Coastal Race Module
• Beach Sprint Technical Delegates training for event organisers
• Water safety training
• A PR3 Para-Rowing identification pathway
• Integrity education delivered by Sport Integrity Australia
• Warrior of the Sea, a cultural programme celebrating the seafaring heritage shared by Pacific communities

The aim was to develop not only athletes but also the coaches, officials and organisers the sport needs to grow in the region.

“This camp gives Pacific athletes a genuine pathway to Coastal Rowing’s Olympic debut in Los Angeles and leaves a lasting legacy of coaching capability and pride across the region,” said Sarah Cook, CEO of Rowing Australia.

World Rowing Senior Development Manager Inas Hussein added: “Programmes like this build the technical foundation, safe and effective event delivery, and coaching depth Pacific nations need to prepare their athletes for high performance and compete on the Olympic stage. It provides a continental platform for athletes from the Pacific to come together and compete.”

Samoa’s Breakthrough

After training together, the Pacific crews raced Australian and New Zealand rivals at the championships. Marquardt competed in four events and was the only camp athlete to reach the podium, winning Samoa’s first continental medal.

Beach sprint’s shared boats and composite crews also forged new connections among athletes from across the Pacific, who went home with more racing experience, stronger technical foundations and relationships across the region.

The Racing

The championships drew more than 190 entries across 24 events, spanning underage, open and masters categories. The regatta also served as trials for Rowing Australia’s team ahead of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Qingdao, China, on 18–21 October.

For the Pacific athletes, the value went beyond results. The week combined training, education and racing, offering a practical introduction to the demands of beach sprint rowing and a step towards future international competition. [ADD: what’s next for these athletes or the programme.

PacificAus Sports is the Australian Government’s flagship sports diplomacy programme. It creates opportunities for Pacific athletes, coaches and sports organisations through partnerships with Australian and regional sporting bodies, supporting high-performance pathways, capacity building and people-to-people links across the Pacific.