Names to know before the 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals

With just two years to go until the debut of beach sprints at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, competition is hotting up to find those rowers in with a chance of claiming the maiden titles. The 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Qingdao, China, will be an important stepping stone on the path, ahead of next year’s qualification events for Los Angeles. So who are the names to watch?

Women’s solo (W1x)

The reigning champion: In Antalya last year New Zealand’s Emma Twigg won her second world title. But after injury earlier this year, Twigg is not racing in Qingdao.

The contenders: Like Twigg, Magdalena Lobnig (AUT) has made a hugely successful move from flat water to beach sprints. The 2024 world champion is in good form, recently taking silver behind Esther Briz (ESP) at the 2026 European Rowing Beach Sprint Championships, and comes to China among the favourites.

Briz is an old hand at beach sprint rowing and already has two world titles in the mixed double sculls from 2019 and 2022. 2026 is the first time she is racing the solo, switching seats with Teresa Diaz, and beating Lobnig at the European championships proved she is one to watch.

World and European bronze medallist Laura McKenzie (GBR) is always a threat and South American Games champion Pamela Noya (PER) will want to show the rest of the world what she can do. Look out too for former world medallist Christine Cavallo (USA) and Olympian Carling Zeeman (CAN) – the latter moving into the solo after making her beach sprints debut last year.

Men’s solo (M1x)

The reigning champion: It is hard to look past Chris Bak (USA) for another title. In Antalya, Bak became the most-decorated beach sprint rower in history with his fourth gold medal; he combines speed on land with serious rowing ability.

The contenders: The 2025 final between Bak and Ander Martin (ESP) was superb. Martin backed up his world silver with the 2026 European title. He has been around beach sprints since the start of the discipline, and that experience is showing building into Los Angeles.

But Bak and Martin need to watch out for the rest of the field. Joel Naukkarinen (FIN) is another athlete who has competed in several World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals and this year is finally managing to combine his awesome physical power with the skill and speed needed to contend. Silver at the European championships was one of his best results yet.

Also keep an eye out for Moritz Wolff (GER), who narrowly missed out on the final in Antalya after stumbling on the finish run against Martin. Fabian Baranski (POL) was fourth at the European championships, and David Souza (BRA) won the South American Games, albeit from time trial results after the competition was cancelled.

An outside contender could be Julien Bahain (CAN), who is making his return to international competition a decade after his last race at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Bahain is now 40 years old and this is his first beach sprint competition, but he is an Olympic, world and European medallist on flat water – he cannot be counted out.

Mixed double sculls (Mix2x)

The reigning champions: Dominykas Jancionis and Martyna Kazlauskaite (LTU) are two-time world champions in the mixed double, but took silver at the 2026 European Rowing Beach Sprint Championships behind Germany.

The contenders: Germany have shaken up their crews and their European champions Julia Tertuente and Moritz Wolff race solos in Qingdao – but Franz Werner took European bronze in the solo so has plenty of speed to combine with Sophie Leupold in China.

Poland and Spain were third and fourth at the European championships, while France and Portugal took those positions at the 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals. Portugal’s crew is unchanged, while Mathis Nottelet takes Antoine Lefebvre’s place in the French boat this season.

The USA were silver medallists in Antalya; this year, Chris Bak focuses on the solo so Kory Rogers steps in alongside Sera Busse in a bid to upset the Lithuanian champions. Rogers is a world champion in the coastal mixed quadruple sculls.

Inclusion mixed double sculls (INMix2x)

The reigning champions: 2025 champion Colin Wallace teams up this year with Claire Jamison as Great Britain seek to defend their title, in the second year the inclusion mixed double has featured as an official event.

The contenders: Marcos Delgado and Rocio Fraguela (ESP) beat Wallace and Jamison to the European title last month on home water, so bring that confidence to Qingdao. However, Egypt were silver medallists in Antalya, and Ayyat Ibrahim this year is rowing with new partner Omar Moussa in a bid to go one better.

Mixed coxed quadruple sculls (Mix4x+)

The reigning champions: The USA won this event last year and although the 2026 line-up is different it remains very strong, with Chris Bak at stroke.

The contenders: Spain are the USA’s leading rivals, with beach sprint legend Adrian Miramon stroking their crew. But Australia, Great Britain and Türkiye are all familiar with the sharp end of beach sprints. And it is good to see a quad entry from Indonesia in their first appearance at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals.

Under 19 women’s solo (JW1x)

Janka Demko (HUN) arrives in Qingdao as the European champion in the under 19 women’s solo, winning ahead of Marina Lopez (ESP). Jagna Jurdziak (POL) took bronze in Spain. Fourth-placed Magdalena Vlastinkova (CZE) won bronze at the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals and is one of a handful of athletes racing again in this event in Qingdao.

Under 19 men’s solo (JM1x)

Iason Mouselimis (GRE) is having an exceptional year; the 17-year-old is already world champion in the under-19 men’s single sculls on flat water, and European champion in the under 19 men’s solo.  That brings him to Qingdao as the favourite to succeed Ignacio Ramon-Borja as world champion, especially as he is one of only two returning competitors, alongside Youssuf Moursi (EGY). Xavier Torres, European silver medallist, will try to retain the title for Spain. Davide Gazzolo (ITA) is the European bronze medallist, is also likely to be in the mix.

Under 19 women’s double sculls (JW2x)

There is little form to go on in the under 19 women’s double sculls – this event was not raced at the European Championships. Germany are defending champions but, like other nations, have a new line-up in 2026. It would be unsurprising to see the likes of Spain, Italy, the USA and Great Britain also challenging for the podium.

Under 19 men’s double sculls (JM2x)

Andrea Sciavicco Fasano (ITA) took bronze in the under 19 men’s double sculls last year and he returns for another shot at the podium, this time with new partner Andrea Boucher. Ronan Maher of the USA was also competing in Antalya, but in the solo and mixed double sculls. He will hope his new partnership with Tim Mayer is fruitful.

Under 19 mixed double sculls (JMix2x)

A big entry of 20 boats in the under 19 mixed double sculls promises tough competition. At the European Championships, Spain’s Bianca Lopez and Alfredo Mena beat Austria, whose new crew are looking to defend their nation’s world title. France won bronze in Antalya last year and, unusually in this boat class, both rowers, Raphael de Boussac and Elisa Guilloton, are back to see if they can improve. The French did not race at the European Championships in Spain.