U.S. Wins Two Golds, One Silver, Chris Bak makes history

• Chris Bak becomes the first-ever three-time champion in the men’s solo and the most-decorated beach sprint rower of all time
• Mixed quadruple sculls wins gold
• Mixed double sculls wins silver, missing gold by inches

The United States capped off an incredible day at the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, earning two gold medals and one silver. Chris Bak made history by becoming the first-ever three-time world champion in the men’s solo event and the most-decorated beach sprint rower of all time. Earlier in the day, the U.S. mixed quadruple sculls crew powered to gold, and Bak returned to the water just an hour after his solo win to take silver with Sera Busse in the mixed double sculls in one of the tightest races of the regatta. The U.S. senior beach sprint athletes delivered their best performance to date, winning the nation’s first mixed double sculls medal and medaling in three senior events.

“I’m so happy that the athletes achieved what they set out to do,” said Marc Oria, Head Coach of the Gemini.com Beach Sprint National Team. “They worked so hard for this, and these medals are the result of that dedication. This has been a long process — we’ve been growing the sport since 2021 — and this success is the outcome of that effort. All of these teams are training with LA 2028 in mind, and this is a great step toward the goals we’re working toward over the next three years. I want to thank the athletes for their trust in me and in the program, and for the connection we’ve built to make this possible.”

Men’s Solo

Chris Bak opened his morning with the Quarterfinals against Brazil. He launched off the line quickly, gaining early distance and rowing with calm confidence. His control and efficiency were evident as he crossed in 2:21.28, comfortably advancing to the semifinals.

In the Semifinals, Bak faced France’s Mathis Nottelet. Once again, he had a clean start and navigated the buoys with precision. By the 250-meter mark, Bak had built a commanding lead and cruised across the line in 2:33.05, conserving energy for the final.

The A Final against Spain’s Ander Martin was all Bak. He surged ahead in the opening 250 meters, establishing a five-second margin early. As he hit the beach, Bak pumped his arms in triumph, sealing his third consecutive world title in 2:33.82, a remarkable 26 seconds ahead of Martin.

"It's quite surreal right now, kind of soaking it in," said Chris Bak about becoming a three-time world champion. "Some great racing today, awesome competitors, Team USA had a great show out, so I'm really happy for the entire team...Congratulations to everyone, it's been an awesome year!"

Mixed Coxed Quadruple Sculls

The U.S. entered their Quarterfinal against Germany with confidence, taking an early lead and holding it throughout. By the final 100 meters, the Americans had clear control of the race, with bow-seat Malachai Anderson jogging across the beach to hit the buzzer and send the crew to the Semifinals.

The U.S. faced a strong Turkish crew in the Semifinal that pushed hard through the first half of the race. The Americans, however, remained composed and surged ahead in the closing stretch, crossing in 2:10.75 to secure their spot in the Final.

The championship race against Spain was a thriller. Coxswain Coral Kasden got the crew off to a strong start, matching Spain stroke for stroke through the turn. In the second half, the U.S. pulled ahead, gaining a crucial second in the closing strokes. Anderson sprinted up the beach to secure gold in 2:07.24, finally earning his first world title after two previous silver medals in the U19 category.

The crew of Kasden, Kory Rogers, Annelise Hahl, Audrey Boersen, and Malachai Anderson became only the second U.S. mixed coxed quadruple sculls team ever to win the world title at the Beach Sprint Finals.

Mixed Double Sculls

Just over an hour after his solo triumph, Chris Bak returned to the beach with Sera Busse for the mixed double sculls. The event had been one of the tightest of the regatta, and the closing rounds were no exception.

In the Quarterfinals against Spain, Busse sprinted to the boat cleanly, but the Spanish crew gained a small early lead. The Americans closed the gap with a strong final push, overtaking Spain on the beach as Bak hit the buzzer in 2:13.38.

The Semifinal against Portugal tested the U.S. crew’s endurance. The Portuguese jumped out to a three-second lead by the halfway mark, but the Americans stayed composed. Their relentless closing sprint erased the deficit, and Bak hit the buzzer in 2:16.16, advancing to the A Final.

In the championship race, the U.S. faced the reigning world champions from Lithuania. Busse and Bak had a sharper start, with only inches separating the two boats through the turn. The Lithuanians were able to find a little edge in the closing strokes as they headed for the beach, and it was the tiny difference in the last few strokes that sealed the championship. Bak sprinted, diving for the buzzer with the crowd not even clear on who took the victory at first. It was Lithuania for the gold, by .24.

"It feels pretty good," said Sera Busse about medaling in her first coastal event. "The last race was definitely tough, tough to come out on the wrong side of a buzzer beater. We did what we could; we had a really good time out there. I feel like now I've gotta keep coming back."

Women’s Solo

Christine Cavallo drew a tough Quarterfinal matchup against reigning world champion Magdalena Lobnig of Austria. Cavallo started strong, staying even with Lobnig through the turn. The two were nearly level entering the final sprint, but Lobnig edged ahead in the closing meters to finish in 2:40.76, with Cavallo right behind at 2:42.19.

Though Cavallo’s run ended early, her performance came in the fastest Quarterfinal of the day, and Lobnig went on to claim silver overall. As always, Beach Sprint racing demands not only speed but a touch of luck, and Cavallo’s early draw put her up against one of the world’s best.

USRowing would like to thank our dedicated boat handlers, Cara Stawicki, Alyssa Trebilcock, Ben Booth, Will Daly, and Emily Goldsmith, for their crucial support throughout the event. Their hard work and precision behind the scenes were essential to the smooth execution of racing and the success of our athletes on the world stage.

Full results are available here. Photos of the event can be found here.