~ Nine debut nations among 53 entered for the 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Qingdao
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 02.10.2026) :: A total of 222 crews from 53 nations will contest the 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Qingdao, China, from 18–21 October, with entries confirmed across ten boat classes.
The 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals will also mark a milestone for the discipline’s global growth. The 53 nations entered represent the second-highest number ever recorded at the event, and the highest number for a Beach Sprint Finals held outside Europe.
Nine nations will make their World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals debut in Qingdao: Colombia, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Somalia, Syria, Tonga, Uganda. For Tonga, the event will be particularly historic, marking the nation's first-ever participation in a World Rowing international championship
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Star Names Lead Stellar Fields in Qingdao
A total of 303 athletes will contest the world titles, bringing together Olympic medallists, established beach sprint specialists and some of the most promising rising stars in coastal Rowing.
Qingdao will become the second Chinese city to host the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, following the inaugural edition in Shenzhen in 2019. Since that first championship, beach sprint rowing has continued its rapid global growth and is now on track for its Olympic debut at the LA28 Olympic Games.
Among the headline names entered is Austria's Magdalena Lobnig, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist in the women's single sculls. Lobnig arrives with an impressive beach sprint pedigree, including the 2024 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals titles in the women's solo event.
The men's solo field features several former world champions and established contenders, including American Christopher Bak, the most successful athlete in beach sprint rowing history. Bak returns seeking another world title in not just the men's solo, but also the mixed coxed quadruple sculls.
Finland's Joel Naukkarinen is also among the entries. A regular presence at both coastal and classic international competitions, Naukkarinen will aim to challenge for the podium in a highly competitive men's solo field after medalling at the 2026 European Rowing Beach Sprint Championships last month.
Lithuania's formidable mixed double sculls partnership of Dominykas Jancionis and Martyna Kazlauskaite also returns to world championship competition. The duo are the defending World Champions from 2024 and 2025 and will once again be among the crews to watch in Qingdao.
Several newly crowned continental champions will look to carry their momentum from the 2026 European Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships into the world stage.
In the senior events, Spain's Esther Briz Zamorano, the 2026 European champion in the women's solo, heads to Qingdao as one of the favourites for gold, while compatriot Ander Martin, winner of the men's solo title at the same championships, will seek to add a world crown to his season's achievements.
The Under 19 events feature an exciting group of emerging talents. Hungary's Janka Demko, who claimed gold in the under 19 women's solo at the 2026 European Beach Sprint Championships, will be one of the leading contenders in the CJW1x. Greece's Iason Mouselimis, the reigning European under 19 men's solo champion, will line up in the CJM1x looking to continue his impressive season.
The men's solo (CM1x) is set to be one of the most fiercely contested events in Qingdao, attracting a record 48 entries. That surpasses the previous high of 45 entries, set at the 2024 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, highlighting both the growing popularity and increasing depth of competition in the discipline.
Host nation China will be represented across the programme and will be aiming to make the most of home-water advantage in front of local supporters. The Chinese squad will contest events ranging from the under 19 categories through to the senior championship classes, adding further strength to what promises to be one of the most competitive editions of the Beach Sprint Finals to date.
Competition in Qingdao will be held across ten boat classes: M1x, W1x, Mix2x, Mix4x+, JM1x, JW1x, JM2x, JW2x, JMix2x and INMix2x. World titles will be awarded over four days of racing as athletes battle through the various phases of competition.
Qingdao to Host Two World Rowing Championships in October
Entries have also been published for the 2026 World Rowing Coastal Championships, which will take place in Qingdao from 11-13 October, one week before the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals. While beach sprint rowing features short, head-to-head races that combine running, rowing and buoy turns, the Coastal Championships showcase the endurance format of coastal rowing, with athletes racing over longer courses in open-water conditions. Hosting both world championship events in consecutive weeks will make Qingdao the centre of international coastal rowing this October.
With record participation levels, the largest-ever men's solo field, and a growing number of nations joining the coastal rowing movement, all eyes will turn to Qingdao this October as the world's best coastal rowers compete for the final world titles of the 2026 season. The event promises to showcase both the established stars and the next generation of talent as beach sprint rowing continues its rapid rise towards its Olympic debut at LA28.
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