Inaugural Youth Beach Sprint National Championships Make Waves at Lido Beach 

The inaugural Youth Beach Sprint National Championship fostered new love in the sport on Lido Beach. Four national champions were named in the men’s and women’s single sculls and in the men’s and women’s double sculls. The racing was as fierce as the conditions, as the waves and wind began to pick up in the afternoon, causing major shake-ups in the results. But the camaraderie and excitement for the new Olympic discipline was evident as the athletes supported and cheered each other on. 

“Super exhilarating to see the event come together,” said Peter Choi, Director of Sport Growth. “I think people can hesitate with coastal rowing and have a little skepticism. You can stick in your comfort zone or jump into the wave and dive into the adventure with us. From the smiles on everyone's face and the excitement and the stories people are already telling, you know this event will just keep getting bigger, better, faster, and stronger in the years to come.”

In the men’s single sculls, Ronan Maher of Oregon Rowing Unlimited clinched gold with a dominant performance, finishing more than nine seconds ahead of silver medalist Eli Ward from Sarasota Crew. Maher brought valuable experience to the race, representing the U.S. in the men’s U19 single sculls and U19 mixed double sculls at the 2024 World Beach Sprint Finals.

“It feels great to win the first beach sprint national championships. It took a lot of practice, a lot of hard work, and long hours.” said Ronan Maher. “I’m excited to see everyone here and trying it for the first time. Hopefully, it will inspire more people to train in beach sprints.”

In the women’s double sculls, powering through the conditions helped Elizabeth City Rowing Club’s crew to win gold. Emma Mayer and Ella McFadden dominated the A Final, winning by 8.92 seconds over the silver medalists from Sarasota Crew.

Ophelia Weiss from Next Level Rowing won the women’s single sculls after a fierce battle in the A Final with Elizabeth City Rowing Club’s Kiran Rodgers. Weiss has previously competed at the U.S. Beach Sprint Trials. Weiss took home an additional medal, bronze, in the women’s double sculls with partner, Mary Bain.

“I’ve competed in four beach sprint events before. For me, I kept just missing the podium, so being able to throw it all out there and walk away being on the podium is great,” said Ophelia Weiss. 

In the men’s double sculls, it was an all-Sarasota showdown. Nicholas Griffin and Harrison Lee claimed gold thanks to their explosive speed both on land and water, while teammates Logan Mello and Dylan Vu secured silver.

The national championships marked a major step forward for youth coastal rowing in the U.S, doubling the number of athletes in beach sprints. We hope the event will inspire a new wave of young athletes as the country looks ahead to the LA 2028 Olympic Games, where Beach Sprint Rowing will debut.

To watch the replay, check out Overnght.

Learn more about the sport here. 

Check out our interview with Beach Sprint National Team Coach, Marc Oria, and Beach Sprint World Champion Chris Bak.