2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals

Day Two

Germany secure the first medals at the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals. Their victories in the coastal under 19 men’s and women’s double sculls marked the first time Germany has picked up a gold medal in any event at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, with their best result in the five previous editions of the competition being silver.

Julius Bluemel and Julius Schueller kicked things off with a series of impressive performances in the coastal men’s under 19 double sculls, defeating Ireland, Italy and finally Great Britain to claim the title. Great Britain’s silver medal was their best result in this event.

Hosts Türkiye missed out on the podium after they lost the B-final to Italy. Italy also won bronze in the under 19 women’s double sculls, beating Great Britain.

Meanwhile Mia Tetiwa and Selma Ritter picked up gold in the women’s event; like their male teammates, they produced three excellent rows, beating the USA and Italy to reach their final. In the final, they led Spain from the start to take the win.

The day also saw exciting knockout races in the coastal under 19 men’s and women’s solos and coastal under 19 mixed double sculls, as well as a morning of second timetrials to decide the knockout competitors in six events.

Day Three

The last three under 19 events were the highlight of the third day of the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals. Austria and Czechia won their first-ever under 19 beach sprint medals, Germany wrapped up the junior events with three silvers, and France opened their account with a gold and bronze.

Spain’s Ignacio Ramon-Borja Garcia was the first champion of the day, winning the coastal under 19 men’s solo in style ahead of Germany’s Felix Krones. Spain has not failed to win a gold medal in each of the six editions of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals so far. Lucio Fugazzotto took bronze for Italy, his third medal in this event in three years after gold and bronze in 2023 and 2024.

Lou Phillipe was the under 19 women’s solo champion for France, with her strong running proving decisive through the three rounds. Mia Tetiwa (Germany) added silver to the gold she won in the under 19 women’s double sculls on Friday, and Magdalena Vlastnikova won bronze, Czechia’s first under 19 medal in history.

The day finished with gold for Austria in the under 19 mixed double sculls. Nikolas Roidmayer and Caroline Schwendinger were strong throughout the day and defeated Miklas Scheer and Anna Yuri Koseki of Germany in the final. France’s Raphael de Boussac and Elisa Guilloton took bronze, after earlier knocking out European champions Türkiye.

Day four

More historic performances on the last day of competition including from the USA’s Christopher Bak, who became the most-decorated beach sprint rower of all time on Sunday in Antalya, winning a gold and silver medal.

Bak’s successful title defence in the coastal men’s solo, coupled with silver in the coastal mixed double sculls, means he has now won a total of six World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals medals – four gold, one silver, and one bronze. Nobody has won more gold medals than Bak, and he is level with Tunisian Hela Belhaje Mohamed in terms of number of medals.

The 2025 event also saw the first official running of the inclusion mixed double sculls, for one para-rower and one able-bodied rower, after two exhibition events in 2023 and 2024. Great Britain’s Colin Wallace and Megan Hewison claimed the first world title, while Egypt’s silver was their best result at a World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals.

Australia also achieved a best-ever finish with bronze in the quadruple sculls, the nation’s first senior beach sprints medal.

New Zealand’s Emma Twigg won the coastal women’s solo, adding to her title from 2022 and defeating 2024 champion Magdalena Lobnig (Austria) in the final. As the previous medal came after the early cancellation of racing, Twigg said it felt good to win through completion of the side-by-side racing.

Lithuania’s Dominykas Jancionis and Martyna Kazlauskaite defended their coastal mixed double sculls title, beating Bak and his double partner Sera Busse in an exciting race.

Overall, Germany topped the medal table with two gold medals and three silvers, all from the under 19 events. The USA added gold in the coastal mixed coxed quadruple sculls to their total.