SportsPosted at: Nov 2 2026 11:03PM


Young beach sprint rowers at Dakar 2026 look ahead to LA28

Dakar, Nov 2 (UNI) Young rowers competing in coastal rowing beach sprints at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games are embracing the discipline's Olympic debut, with some already setting
their sights on the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
A total of 64 athletes are competing at Saly Beach West from October 31 to November 3, marking the sport's first appearance at the Youth Olympics ahead of its senior Olympic debut at Los Angeles.
"This is the premiere and I don't know what comes next but I think this is the first boom because now it becomes Olympic," said Germany's Carolina Guerra Gonzalez.
"Now we have the chance to make the sport popular and to inspire all the people to try our sport." Unlike traditional flatwater rowing, beach sprints combine running across sand, rowing through waves, sharp turns and a final dash to the finish line.
Competitors race approximately 250 meters out to sea before turning back toward shore, with changing waves and weather conditions adding an unpredictable element to each contest. For athletes accustomed to conventional rowing, the shorter, more explosive format offers a different challenge.
American Isaac Moos, who switched to beach sprints this year after three years of flatwater training, said the discipline's unpredictability had quickly won him over.
"It's super fun. It breaks up the monotony of racing for eight minutes, 20 minutes, by having some waves, having turns," Moos said.
"It's a lot more exciting than traditional rowing. You get to see the whole race and things can change in an instant, so it's more exciting then watching a drag race."
Despite the shorter distances, beach sprints place considerable physical demands on competitors, who must navigate unpredictable waves, maneuver their boats and produce explosive bursts of
speed across the sand, often over multiple races, accordng to Xinhua.
Vanuatu's Teva Chabod, 17, who began his rowing career in beach sprints and trains in the waves three times a week near his home, said the physical challenge was part of the attraction.
"It's a very dynamic sport. It helps you build your muscles," Chabod said. "It's a sport that uses all the body muscles and I really like it."
The discipline's inclusion in the Olympic program has also opened new opportunities for young athletes. Australia's Camilla Griffin took up beach sprints just five months ago and secured her place at Dakar through a national selection event.
"My coach just came to us and was like, 'There's this event and if you win this race you get to go into the Youth Olympics', and we were like, 'What an amazing opportunity!'" Griffin said.
"There's not that many people that get to wear the green and gold and represent Australia and it's just such an amazing opportunity that I've been given to be here."
Griffin hopes to continue developing in the discipline with an eye on the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, while Greece's Iason Mouselimis has more immediate ambitions.
"I'm very proud and honored to represent my country, Greece, and I'm also very happy to be the first to do beach sprint as an Olympic sport," Mouselimis said. "It's the Youth Olympics, but hopefully also in the Olympics in LA I will be the first one that represents [Greece]."

Beyond providing a pathway to the Olympics, athletes said beach sprints could help rowing reach new audiences through its fast-paced format and spectator-friendly setting.
Germany's Johann Felix Meyer, who began training in the discipline in April, said its potential to attract spectators in coastal cities could help drive its growth.
"You can do it everywhere. You just need a beach and six boys, so I think it's also easier to bring it
to the people, in big cities or near the water, like in Rio de Janeiro, so many more people can watch it," Meyer said.
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