The sand-streaked shores of Antalya, Turkey, witnessed a thrilling moment for Portuguese rowing this past Sunday. Afonso Costa and Patrícia Batista were crowned European Champions in Beach Sprint Rowing. This high-octane discipline is set to debut as an Olympic sport at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, making their victory even more significant.
The dynamic Portuguese duo displayed incredible synergy in the mixed teams competition, known as C2xMix. They powered through the final, ultimately defeating the strong German pair of Franz Werner and Sophie Leupold to claim their gold medals.
Their path to European glory was a challenging one. Costa and Batista first overcame the Hungarian team, featuring Ferenc Szigeti and Zoltana Gadanyi, securing their spot in the quarter-finals. Their winning streak continued as they faced and defeated the Spanish team of Adrian Miramon and Nadia Felipe, which propelled them into the semi-finals. Before reaching the grand final, the Portuguese athletes had one more hurdle: they successfully eliminated Lithuania’s Dominykas Jancionis and Martyna Kazlauskaite.
Understanding Beach Sprint Rowing
For those unfamiliar with the sport, beach sprint rowing is a unique and demanding race format. Each heat involves two rowers. They begin by sprinting from the beach sand to their waiting boat at the water’s edge. Once aboard, they quickly row 250 meters out to a designated buoy, expertly navigating around it. They then race back the same 250-meter distance to the shore. Upon returning, they must swiftly exit their boat and sprint across the sand to the final finish line. This combination of running and rowing truly tests an athlete’s versatility and endurance.
The inclusion of beach sprint rowing at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics marks a new chapter for the sport. It will take the place of the lightweight double sculls event, which concluded its Olympic run after the Paris 2024 Games.