Golden day for China on golden sands of Qingdao

The 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Qingdao came to an end on Tuesday with a packed day of 108 races, 10 finals and a spectacular showing from the hosts.

China ended top of the medal table with eight medals, including four golds, three silvers and a bronze. Spain won two gold medals, and Australia, the USA, Great Britain and Germany one each.

The results also confirmed the seven nations qualified for next year’s World Rowing Beach Sprint Series in Türkiye and China: China, Australia, Germany, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and the USA. They qualified based on points garnered through the last 16 for the three Olympic-class events, the men’s and women’s solos and the mixed double sculls.

China open Qingdao finals with victory

China’s Zhao Xu and Yuan Zihao opened the hosts’ account with a good victory in the coastal under 19 men’s double sculls. The Chinese duo cruised through their quarterfinal against New Zealand and semifinal against Egypt, ensuring they had plenty in their legs to beat France in the final for their first title in this event. Pierre Ibarburu and Mael Khaloua took silver after closer races in the earlier round against Great Britain and Italy. Meanwhile Yasseen Elkomaty and Ibrahim Abdellatif won Egypt’s first bronze in this event, defeating Italy.

Results: CHN, FRA, EGY

Elkomaty said: “It means everything for us. Last year I was gutted from the loss in the mixed doubles, so this means a lot for me.”

First gold to Great Britain in junior women’s doubles

Emma Nicholson and Lexi Gill claimed a first-ever coastal under 19 women’s double sculls title for Great Britain with a confident showing throughout the competition – although Nicholson was almost caught out in the semifinal against France, having to increase her speed on the sand to avoid being overtaken by Lilya Bouchiki of France. In the final, the British took the lead early on and China’s Li Lele and Gong Jiale were never able to gain ground. Bouchiki and Lina Hofland took bronze for France.

Results: GBR, CHN, FRA

Nicholson said: “We won the time trial, but I didn’t think we were going to win again, and also last year I missed out on a medal by a second, so it’s really nice to do it this year and go all the way and win.”

Spain triumph in inclusion mixed double sculls

2025 inclusion mixed double sculls champions Great Britain missed out on a medal this time around, as a stuck seat for Clare Jamison gave Brazil the advantage in their semifinal before the USA’s Justin Stevens and Annabelle Miller beat the British in the bronze medal race. Meanwhile, Spain’s European champions, Marcos Delgado and Rocio Fraguela, made their victories in the semifinal over the USA and in the final against Joice Emily Silva and Valdeni da Silva Junior of Brazil look easy.

Results: ESP, BRA, USA

Fraguela said: “It was an amazing race. We did a great job. It’s my first time at coastal and beach sprints championships, I’m very happy with the result, obviously. It’s very fun.”

Youngsters surprise in men’s solos

The coastal men’s solos brought plenty of surprises, and ended with a final between two youngsters – 20-year-old Samuel Forbes (AUS) and 21-year-old Liu Jiayu (CHN). On the way to the final, Forbes had knocked out defending champion Chris Bak (USA) and Allison Russo (POR), while Liu beat European champion Ander Martin (ESP) and Moritz Wolff (GER). The final showcased Liu’s immense speed on the water, and he was able to cruise to victory ahead of Forbes for China’s first title in this event. Wolff took bronze over Russo.

Results: CHN, AUS, GER

Drama-filled women’s solo ends with maiden gold for Australia

The women’s solo last eight was packed with drama. First, Christine Cavallo (USA) missed the buzzer, allowing Isabella Scammell (AUS) to win in their quarterfinal. Scammell then benefitted from an error from two-time medallist Magdalena Lobnig (AUT), who went the wrong way around one of the slalom buoys in their semifinal, to make it to the final. She faced Zhu Wenjie (CHN), who qualified after beating European champion Esther Briz (ESP) in the quarterfinal; Briz stumbled on her boat exit and Zhu was able to claim the win on the sand. Wenjie beat Bruna Parente (POR) in the semifinal. Scammell looked strong in the final to take Australia’s first gold at any Beach Sprint Finals, with Zhu settling for silver. Lobnig’s bronze means she now has a full set of beach sprint medals, and has reached the podium three years in a row.

Results: AUS, CHN, AUT

Scammell said: “I’ve been rowing for about 10 years now and this is by far the most fun I’ve had rowing. I guess that’s what it’s all about.”

Torres overturns European result

Xavier Torres (ESP) lost the European Rowing Beach Sprint Championships final in the coastal under 19 men’s solo after his blade popped out of its gate. In the rerun of that final in Qingdao, against Greece’s Iason Mouselimis, nothing went wrong and Torres took victory – albeit not by much. Mouselimis’ silver was Greece’s best result at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals and also continues his run of reaching the podium in every international event he has contested this season. Bu Boren (CHN) won bronze.

Results: ESP, GRE, CHN

Torres said: “It’s the best moment in my life. I can hear my family that came from Spain, having my team, having all the people that support me, I’m just grateful.”

China claim another gold

China’s strong day continued in the under 19 women’s solo, with Zhu Weiwei claiming the title by beating Maddison McLaughlin in the third China vs Australia showdown of the regatta. Both scullers had progressed comfortably through to the medal race, and it was Zhu’s return leg which proved key. In the bronze medal race, Magdalena Vlastnikova (CZE) shrugged off some pre-race nausea to take the win over Despoina Ermeidou (GRE), repeating her result from 2025.

Results: CHN, AUS, CZE

McLaughlin said: “We both hit a few big ones on the way out. I think we both handled it pretty well, but she [Zhu] was just really fast. Good job to her.”

Sixth gold for Bak as USA defend title

After Chris Bak’s disappointment in the coastal men’s solo, with a fifth gold medal eluding him, the USA coastal mixed coxed quadruple sculls crew showed impressive speed to defend their title. After beating 2024 champions Great Britain and then Australia, the USA quad recovered from an imperfect halfway turn to power past China in the closing stages of the final and claim gold. It was a third gold in this boat class for coxswain Coral Kasden, and a second for Bak to add to his four previous coastal men’s solo titles. Audrianna Boersen and Malachi Anderson also won their second titles in the quad. Australia secured a second bronze medal in a row, beating Germany in the bronze medal race.

Results: USA, CHN, AUS

Kasden said: “We poured everything into this, and we had such a great training trip before this. We really all jived together so well. It was a blast to row with all of them.”

Germany repeat European success – with fresh crew

The gold, silver and bronze medallists in the coastal mixed double sculls were the same as at the 2026 European Rowing Beach Sprint Championships – Germany, Lithuania and Poland – despite Germany having put together a new crew for Qingdao. Franz Werner and Sophie Leupold showed impressive cohesion through the rounds to win, ending Dominykas Jancionis and Martyna Kazlauskaite’s reign as champions. The gold is Germany’s first senior beach sprints title. Poland’s Adam Bujnowski and Dominika Baranowska made history by winning their nation’s first medal.

Results: GER, LTU, POL

Leupold said: “We had nothing to lose, yesterday we were almost out, we came from 16th place, and we had nothing to lose all regatta.”

China End It As They Start It

China’s Su Juntao and Liu Lili proved unbeatable in the last eight of the coastal under 19 mixed double sculls, powering away to a fourth gold medal after previously winning a closer contest with Australia and the semifinal against Spain. They met Germany in the final, with the Germans hoping to upgrade last year’s silver to gold – but China were simply too strong. Spain took bronze over Brazil.

Results: CHN, GER, ESP