Athletes from 18 countries compete in World Rowing Coastal Championships

The 2026 World Rowing Coastal Championships concluded in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Tuesday.

The three-day championships featured seven events across men's, women's, and mixed categories, including solo, double sculls, and coxed quadruple sculls, according to the event's official website. Set against the backdrop of the Golden Beach in the Qingdao West Coast New Area, athletes from 18 countries and regions competed for world titles in one of rowing's most challenging disciplines.

Unlike the flat-water racing seen at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, coastal rowing takes place on open water, where athletes must contend with waves, wind, currents, and changing sea conditions. Success depends not only on fitness and power, but also on boat handling, steering, and tactical decision-making.

In Qingdao, races covered a distance of over four kilometers, with the finals stretching past six kilometers. Athletes started from the beach and headed out into the Yellow Sea to navigate a series of buoy turns before racing back toward the finish.

The competition was free and open to the public. A dedicated viewing area was set up near the waters off the Golden Beach.