Three Crews Advance on Day Three of the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals

Conditions were gorgeous this morning in Antalya, Turkey, and the U.S. took full advantage, advancing three crews to tomorrow’s quarterfinals. The morning’s racing highlighted the unique challenges of beach sprints, as missed or clipped buoys eliminated several talented crews from other countries early. Tomorrow will see world champions crowned, with quarterfinals leading directly into semifinals and finals in rapid succession.

“Today, we proved that we are more than ready to fight for the medals and that we did the right things to prepare for the event,” said Marc Oria, Head Coach of the Gemini.com Beach Sprint National Team. “It was a great statement, and we are ready to trust more in ourselves. The results tomorrow will come down to the tiny details, and a little error can be decisive. But, we trust the work that we have done so far, and we are excited to race tomorrow.”

Men’s Solo 

Chris Bak demonstrated impressive speed in his matchup against Croatia. Launching into the boat with precision, Bak quickly gained distance on Mihael Girotto in the opening 100 meters. Though he clipped the second buoy, Bak smoothly corrected and extended his lead over the remainder of the race. He hit the beach with a comfortable advantage, allowing for a relaxed jog across the finish line, conserving energy for his mixed double sculls race later in the morning. Bak advances to the quarterfinals, where he will face Brazil.

Chris Bak spoke about his race, “The single was good, I felt really in control. There was a bit of a current underneath that I didn’t anticipate at the second buoy, so I knocked it a little bit, but after the turn, I caught a great swell and was able to come back in and punch the ticket pretty handily. Tomorrow, I'm hoping for the same and a similar swell; I’m just trying to race loose. I know there are a lot of questions around what makes you nervous about the world championship or holding the world champion title. For me, it’s only borrowed, and it can be anyone's title in a year, so we just take it one race at a time.”

Women’s Solo

Christine Cavallo delivered a dominant performance in her knockout round against Australia. She exploded off the start, navigating cleanly through the buoy section and gaining meters with every stroke. Her experience was evident throughout the race, as she maintained control and poise. Cavallo held such a commanding lead that she initially missed the buzzer on her finish but quickly turned back to record her official time of 2:44.27. She advances to tomorrow’s quarterfinals, where she will face Olympian and defending world champion Magdalena Lobnig of Austria.

“This year, with all of my training, I feel pretty excited knowing that I'm the most prepared I’ve ever been for this discipline,” said Christine Cavallo, ten-time national team member. “More than ever, I feel like I’m just racing myself, and it’s percentages off of what I consider to be 100% of what I am capable of. With the time trial two days ago and with my knockout round of 16 today, I feel like I am humming pretty close to that 100%. Obviously, there are things you have to deal with, but this is beach sprints, there are always going to be little hiccups. I think I’m in a really good spot where, regardless of whether I keep racing at this level, I am pretty stoked about how the regatta wraps up. With all the times being put up, I’m not delusional; there is going to be some luck between all of these athletes. It’s going to be so close every single round.”

Mixed Double Sculls

Bak returned to the course to team up with Sera Busse to take on Finland. Busse sprinted to the shell while Bak waited at the waterline, and together they executed a clean and powerful start, gaining crucial meters early. The Finnish crew closed some of the margin at the top turn, but the Americans maintained composure and adjusted their line for a direct shot back to shore. They landed with enough of a cushion to focus on a clean, efficient exit, with Bak hitting the buzzer in 2:13.18. The U.S. duo advances to face Spain in the quarterfinals.

“I think it was a really good improvement from the time trial,” said Sera Busse, a two-time national team member this year on the senior and beach sprint national teams. “Chris and I love the 180 distance over the 90/90 time trial distance. It was good to be able to knock out a good, clean race today. We definitely have another gear, so the time is exciting, and we just want to keep building off of it tomorrow.”

Inclusion Mixed Double Sculls 

Philip Hoyle and Amy Pietrafitta faced the host nation, Turkey, in the repechage round. Hoyle sprinted to the shell as Pietrafitta sat ready, and the pair launched smoothly, managing the course and conditions with greater confidence than the previous day. Turkey established an early lead, and while the U.S. crew fought hard, they were unable to close the gap. Hoyle sprinted to the finish, stopping the clock at 2:56.98, a personal best for the duo. Despite the strong performance, they were eliminated from further contention.

Tomorrow, world titles will be decided as the U.S. continues its strong campaign in Antalya:

• Mixed Coxed Quadruple Sculls – the crew looks to return to the top of the podium after winning in 2023.
• Men’s Solo – Chris Bak will defend his reigning world title.
• Women’s Solo – Christine Cavallo aims to return to the podium, after winning bronze in 2023.
• Coastal Mixed Double Sculls – Chris Bak and Sera Busse will continue their quest for gold.

Full results are available here. Live coverage is available starting this Saturday on World Rowing and Overnght. Photos of the event can be found here.