| Callum Dreyer and Liu Lili claim the Men’s and Women’s Solo titles as Rowing Coastal Beach Sprints made their Youth Olympic Games debut in Senegal, starting a new chapter on the way to LA28. |
 |
| SALY, Senegal– On a beach beside the Atlantic Ocean, rowing took on a new rhythm at the Youth Olympic Games. South Africa’s Callum Dreyer and China’s Liu Lili won the last two gold medals at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Tuesday, ending four days of Rowing Coastal Beach Sprints and marking the discipline’s first appearance on the Olympic stage. Dreyer’s win was a big moment for South African and African rowing, while Liu added to China’s Mixed Coastal gold from Monday. Spain appeared on both Solo podiums, with Diego Molina Martinez winning men’s silver and Blanca Lopez Valera taking women’s bronze. The competition ended in a way that showed rowing’s future could be more geographically diverse. While rowing has been strongest in Europe and in countries like the USA, Australia, and New Zealand, Beach Sprints are bringing new opportunities. In Dakar, Africa and Asia took the top spots. The vibrant energy on Saly Beach West served as the ultimate proof of the discipline’s global potential, according to World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland: “Dakar 2026 is a landmark moment for rowing. Seeing Beach Sprints make their first Olympic appearance in Senegal with such a diverse global field is truly special. The energy on the beach shows exactly what this discipline brings to our sport. We are proud of this milestone in Africa and excited for LA28.” South Africa and China Take the Final Golds |
 |
| Dreyer delivered a strong performance to take the Men’s Solo gold for South Africa. Spain’s Diego Molina Martinez claimed silver, while Hungary’s Adam Moor won bronze. Dreyer had already announced himself as a strong contender earlier in the competition. On Day 3, he produced an impressive Last 16 victory over Lithuania’s Justas Domarkas, using the waves on the return leg to reach the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, Dreyer edged the Czech Republic’s Ondrej Zizka by only 0.14 seconds. He then progressed through the semifinals before delivering the gold-medal performance. This result was an important achievement for South African rowing and showed how Beach Sprints can give athletes from outside the usual rowing countries a chance to succeed. |
 |
| China continued its outstanding Dakar campaign in the Women’s Solo. After Su Juntao and Liu Lili made history by winning the first-ever Youth Olympic Mixed Coastal gold medal on Monday, Liu added another gold to China’s collection. Germany’s Carolina Guerra Gonzalez won silver, and Spain’s Blanca Lopez Valera took bronze after narrowly beating the Czech Republic in the Bronze Medal Race by 0.21 seconds. The women’s competition delivered plenty of international variety in the knockout rounds, with athletes from Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Australia, China and Spain all progressing deep into the draw. The Atlantic Had Its Own Ideas |
 |
| The final day unfolded against another changing Atlantic backdrop at Saly Beach West. An offshore breeze brought in a swell of about 0.7 metres, and the rising tide let stronger waves break over the reef and roll toward the beach. The trickiest part came on the return leg, where a well-timed ride on a breaking wave could carry an athlete towards shore, while losing that wave could prove costly. World Rowing Technical Delegate Guin Batten noted that the waves did not really affect the final buoy, but they did have a notable impact on the sprint back to the beach. If both athletes caught the same wave, they could ride it home together. If one dropped off the back, the other could suddenly have a decisive advantage. This showed again that Beach Sprints are about more than just rowing fast. Athletes need to run quickly, handle their boats well, think tactically, and read the ocean, often making quick decisions with medals on the line. An Olympic President Takes to the WaterInternational Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry was among those watching the final day of Beach Sprints competition. “Beach sprints are awesome. It’s high energy. I love that at any moment, anything can change,” said Coventry. “It keeps everyone watching, and the people on the beach engaged the entire race. It was fun. It was a super, super fun environment.” Coventry, an Olympic swimming champion for Zimbabwe, also had the chance to try the sport herself after the races ended. “I’ve been to Saly Beach a few times, when we imagined what it could look like. So, to actually see it in action, it’s really beautiful and a really proud moment for me. Seeing all the athletes having fun and getting into it, it feels a little bit surreal that we’re finally here and it’s finally happening. It’s been really great.” Coventry joined World Rowing Athlete Role Model Chris Bak on the Atlantic in a Coastal Double, then swam back to shore to finish her visit. It was a fitting hands-on introduction to a sport that will debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. “I think it’s going to be awesome, and I’m going to be there watching it,” added Coventry. A New Olympic Chapter Begins in Africa |
 |
| Dakar 2026 was a landmark moment for Rowing Coastal Beach Sprints and for rowing in Africa. The Youth Olympic Games gave the discipline its first Olympic competition, concluding with the first Youth Olympic gold medals in the Mixed Coastal, Men’s Solo and Women’s Solo events. The format is a spectacular departure from traditional flatwater rowing. Athletes sprint down the beach, launch into their boats, navigate a 250-metre slalom course, execute a 180-degree turn around a buoy and race back towards shore before sprinting across the sand to the finish. It’s rowing at its most exciting—fast, unpredictable, and perfect for a beach crowd. The event also brought an international Olympic rowing competition to Africa, with Senegal offering a great setting for a new generation of athletes to compete globally. China’s Su Juntao and Liu Lili started the medal count by becoming the first Youth Olympic champions in the Mixed Coastal event, with Austria and France also on the podium. South Africa and China then won gold in the Solo events, and Spain did well in both. Beyond the medals, Dakar showed how Beach Sprints can bring new audiences, new locations, and a wider reach to rowing, with athletes from many backgrounds sharing the Olympic stage. At Saly Beach West, with the Atlantic waves and the sound of Senegal’s drums, a new chapter in Olympic rowing began. Once upon a time in Saly, Beach Sprints brought the ruckus. And the world was watching.Full Dakar 2026 Rowing Coastal Beach Sprints Podium |
 |
| Mixed Coastal🥇 Gold: China (Su Juntao / Liu Lili)🥈 Silver: Austria (Lukas Schoenhuber / Alena Lux)🥉 Bronze: France (Raphael de Boussac / Elisa Guilloton)Men’s Solo🥇 Gold: Callum Dreyer (South Africa)🥈 Silver: Diego Molina Martinez (Spain)🥉 Bronze: Adam Moor (Hungary)Women’s Solo🥇 Gold: Liu Lili (China)🥈 Silver: Carolina Guerra Gonzalez (Germany)🥉 Bronze: Blanca Lopez Valera (Spain)Media Resources:High-resolution photos, video highlights, and full results from the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Rowing Coastal Beach Sprints are available at:Olympic Information Services Photos |