With the end of 2024 fast approaching, we stand at the dawn of another year of beach sprints rowing. 2024 saw a number of developments in the growing world of coastal rowing, with a 25% increase in nations attending and well over that in entries and athletes to the World Finals compared to 2023. But what can we look forward to in 2025? Let’s see.
World Rowing has recently announced that the 2025 World Beach Sprint Finals will be held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, the first southern hemisphere world championships (excluding masters regattas) to be held in 15 years.
Additionally, expressions of interest have opened for the GB squad for 2025, who are no doubt planning to build on last year’s success, where the team finished 2nd overall at the World Finals, narrowly missing out on the first place spot to the United States. British Rowing is still yet to release next year’s selection policy for their coastal teams, which will certainly be highly anticipated, especially entering the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic funding cycle, although it is still unclear the extent to which beach sprints may benefit from National Lottery funding through UK Sport.
2024 saw rowing YouTuber, Cameron Buchan, take on the arena of beach sprints. Despite initial challenges, he ultimately emerged victorious, helping earn Britains first gold in the Coastal Mixed Coxed Quad, which Buchan may wish to defend in the coming year. While being the only newcomer in the medal winning quad, Buchan clearly demonstrated the transferability of flat water sculling to the sport’s coastal cousin, serving as a model and motivation for any river rower looking to the sea for their next adventure, which 2025 may certainly bring.
Now with 11 GB Coastal Sculling Academies, and home nations developing their own performance pathways to create the generation of coastal rowers who will take Beach Sprints to the Olympics, now truly is the time join the ever growing wilder side of rowing, especially with many of last years GB squad members being international newcomers.
Click here to find out more about beach sprinting for Great Britain.
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