U.S. Earns Gold and Bronze at 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals

Mixed Coxed Quadruple Sculls Crowned Back-to-Back World Champions

Inclusion Mixed Double Sculls Brings Home Bronze 

The United States concludes the 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals with two medals: one gold and one bronze. The mixed coxed quadruple sculls were crowned back-to-back world champions after defeating host nation, China, by over seven seconds. The inclusion mixed double sculls brought home bronze after beating 2025 World Champions Great Britain by 2.38 seconds. 

The U.S. brought 18 athletes to compete in 10 events at the 2026 championships in Qingdao, China, with a roster featuring returning world champions, experienced national team athletes, and first-time team members. Challenging weather at Golden Beach caused cancellations and capsizes, testing the 222 crews from 52 nations throughout the competition. 

Despite the conditions, the U.S. finished day one with seven of 10 boats still in medal contention and brought home two medals on day two, with Chris Bak bringing home a fifth world championship title – bringing his total count to seven medals, including five golds.  

Here is a boat-by-boat recap of 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals racing (in order of finish place): 

Open Mixed Coxed Quadruple Sculls (CMix4x) 

The mixed coxed quadruple sculls became back-to-back world champions after defending their title against China, defeating the host nation by just over seven seconds. Watch the U.S. win gold here. 

The crew’s path to the top of the podium had a less-than-ideal start as they missed out on automatic qualification to the quarterfinal rounds by one place after finishing seventh in Time Trial 1. They went on to beat Brazil in the repechage round by over 37 seconds, before facing Great Britain in the quarterfinals, clinching a narrow win by 1.52 seconds. In the semifinals, they knocked out reigning bronze medalists Australia by over seven seconds, before heading to the gold medal race to face China. 

The lineup featured four athletes who’d already won gold in the event in prior years; Malachi Anderson (Hamilton, Ohio), Audrey Boersen (West Olive, Mich.), and coxswain Coral Kasden (San Diego, Calif.) won in 2025, with Kasden also winning gold alongside Chris Bak (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 2023. Charlotte Wiley (Guilford, Conn.) made her national team debut and finished atop the 2026 podium. 

Inclusion Mixed Double Sculls (INMix2x) 

Justin Stevens (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Annabelle Miller (Kansas City, Mo.) clinched bronze after beating 2025 World Champions Great Britain by 2.38 seconds. Stevens and Miller missed out on automatic qualification to the semifinals after finishing fourth in Time Trial 1. They went on to beat Egypt in the repechage round by over 16 seconds and were taken out of gold-medal contention in the semifinals by Spain, who went on to win gold. Watch the U.S. win bronze here. 

The U.S. also medaled in the event in 2024, when Gary Rought and Paralympian Danielle Hansen won silver. 

Open Mixed Double Sculls (CMix2x) 

Kory Rogers (The Woodlands, Texas) and Sera Busse (Oakland, Calif.) automatically qualified for the last 16 after finishing fifth in Time Trial 1. They went on to comfortably beat Finland by over 10 seconds in the last 16 before falling to Poland – who go on to win bronze – in the quarterfinals by 3.15 seconds. They finished fifth overall. 

Open Women’s Solo (CW1x) 

Christine Cavallo (Windermere, Fla.) placed outside of the top eight in Time Trial 1, and went on to win Time Trial 2. She advanced to the last 16 and punched her ticket to the quarterfinal by beating Poland’s Martyna Radosz by 0.94 seconds. In the quarterfinal round, Cavallo faced Isabella Scammell of Australia, and lost out on a semifinal spot by 0.41 seconds after missing the buzzer in the final moments of the race. Scammell went on to win gold. Cavallo finished seventh overall. 

U19 Women’s Double Sculls (CJW2x) 

First-time national team members Ella McFadden (Camden, N.C.) and Emma Mayer (Elizabeth City, N.C.), edged out Germany for a quarterfinal spot in Time Trial 2 by 0.39 seconds. The U.S. advanced to the Under 19 Women's Double Sculls Quarterfinal, where they lost to Great Britain – who went on to win gold. They finished seventh overall. 

The Elizabeth City Rowing Club duo earned silver at this year’s Youth Beach Sprint National Championships before winning the national team trials final. 

Open Men’s Solo (CM1x) 

Chris Bak had a strong start in the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, as he sought a third consecutive men’s solo world championship title and his fourth overall. Bak came second out of a field of 45 athletes in Time Trial 1, trailing first-place Germany by 3.3 seconds. Bak progressed into the last 16 round, where he faced Swiss rower Yannick Raschle, whom he beat by over seven seconds. Moving on to the quarterfinals, Bak went head-to-head with Australia’s Samuel Forbes; after hitting an untimely wave he was eliminated from competition. Forbes went on to win silver; Bak finished eighth overall. 

U19 Men’s Double Sculls (CJM2x) 

First-time national team member Tim Mayer (Elizabeth City, N.C.), and Ronan Maher (Sioux Falls, S.D.) teamed up with Mayer in bow and Maher at stroke. The U.S. boat finished seventh in Time Trial 1, forcing a race in Time Trial 2 to qualify for the next stage. Mayer and Maher finished sixth, missing qualification by 0.71 seconds. The crew finished ninth overall.

U19 Women’s Solo (CJW1x) 

First-time national team member Allison Grove (Hamilton, Ohio) came seventh in a field of 24 racing in the U19 Women’s Solo Time Trial 1. This result advanced her to the last 16 knockout round, where she faced Spain’s Marina Lopez Sempere. After a hard-fought race, Grove was knocked out of the competition by Sempere, trailing the Spaniard by just under six seconds in their bout, finishing 12th overall. 

Racing for Next Level Rowing, Grove won the final at the Beach Sprint National Team Trials in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to earn her spot on the national team. 

U19 Mixed Double Sculls (CJMix2x) 

Leland Angel (Hamilton, Ohio) and Olympia Catalino (Boston, Mass.) clinched a spot in the knockout rounds by edging out Romania by 0.32 seconds to earn the last qualifying spot in Time Trial 2. They advanced to the last 16 to face Germany, who knocked them out of the competition and went on to win silver in the event. The U.S. crew finished 13th overall. 

Catalino participated in USRowing’s Beach Sprint Pathways Development program and reached the women’s solo final at this summer’s national team trials.  

U19 Men’s Solo (CJM1x) 

First-time national team member Will Johns (Tulsa, Okla.) did not advance to the knockout rounds after finishing outside the top eight in Time Trial 1 and Time Trial 2 in the U19 men’s solo.  Johns finished 21st overall.

The pair won this year’s national team trials final by just under six seconds. Mayer also earned bronze in the men’s double at the 2026 USRowing Youth Beach Sprint National Championships with Daniel Lent.  

The Olympic results qualified seven nations, China, Australia, Germany, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and the USA, for the new World Rowing Beach Sprint Series, which debuts next year with events in Türkiye and China. 

Interested in competing in beach sprint rowing? In 2027, USRowing will be hosting another Beach Sprint Pathways Development Camp alongside National Team Trials, National Championships, and Youth National Championships. Subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.