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American Chris Bak, the most successful rower in the short history of Beach Sprint rowing, headlines the field of 222 crews from 52 countries headed to Qindao, China for the 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, October 18-21.
Beach Sprint rowing makes its debut as an Olympic sport at the LA2028 Games. The three events, men’s and women’s solo plus mixed double, enter the Olympic program following the departure of the four lightweight rowing events, as rowing’s place in the Games continues to shrink. The Beach Sprint regatta is preceded by the 2026 World Rowing Coastal Championships. Coastal rowing is contested on open water, as opposed to Beach Sprints’ shore-based out-and-back sculling dual that end with a sprint across the beach to hit the finish button.
This year’s overall field is the second-largest in World Rowing Beach Sprints history, with the men’s solo event attracting the biggest entry ever, with 48. Qingdao becomes the second Chinese city to host the new version of rowing’s world championship. Shenzhen hosted the inaugural event in 2019.
