The World Rowing Development Programme brought athletes and coaches from developing Member Federations to Qingdao, China, providing targeted support, international competition pathway and experience and practical learning opportunities around the 2026 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals.
Creating opportunities for developing rowing nations to access international competition is an important part of World Rowing’s development work. In October 2026, this commitment was put into practice through a dedicated Development Programme alongside the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Qingdao, China.
Fifteen Member Federations were included in the Development Programme for the 2026 WRBSF: American Samoa, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Syria, Thailand, Tonga, Tunisia, Uganda and Vanuatu.
For developing Member Federations, reaching an international championship involves much more than arriving on the start line.
Athletes need appropriate preparation and exposure to international racing standards. Coaches need opportunities to observe, learn and build experience. Federations also need to understand the organisational and logistical requirements of taking a team to a major international competition.
The Development Programme therefore aimed to make Qingdao a learning opportunity as well as a competition opportunity.
Participants arrived ahead of the championship, with the official programme beginning on 15 October. Official training and beach orientation followed on 16 and 17 October before the start of competition. This preparation period provided teams with valuable time to familiarise themselves with the competition environment and prepare for the particular demands of Beach Sprint Rowing.
Behind the scenes, World Rowing, the participating Member Federations and the local Organising Committee worked together on accommodation, airport transfers, training arrangements and local transportation.
This practical support is an important part of creating meaningful development opportunities. Reducing some of the logistical and financial barriers associated with international participation allows developing Member Federations to gain experience that can otherwise be difficult to access.
The impact of this opportunity was particularly visible in Qingdao.
Several countries supported through the Development Programme were making their first appearance at a World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, including Colombia, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Syria, Tonga and Uganda.
For Tonga, the experience represented an even greater milestone: its participation in Qingdao marked the country’s first-ever appearance at a World Rowing international championship.
These milestones demonstrate an important purpose of the Development Programme. Development is not only about improving performance. It is also about creating pathways that allow more Member Federations, athletes and coaches to enter the international rowing environment and build from that experience.
For first-time participants, competing alongside experienced Beach Sprint nations offered an important benchmark. Athletes could experience the intensity and unpredictability of international Beach Sprint racing, while coaches could observe competition preparation and technical approaches learning from the World Rowing Coaching team onsite and take those learnings back to their own programmes.
The challenging coastal conditions in Qingdao added another dimension to that learning. Irregular breaking waves and demanding launches and landings tested athletes’ technical skills and adaptability throughout the opening racing programme.
Some of the participating nations translated the opportunity into encouraging performances and important milestones. Egypt secured a bronze medal in the under-19 men’s double sculls, while Indonesia, competing at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals for the first time, reached the last eight in the mixed coxed quadruple sculls and the last 16 in the women’s solo. Colombia also reached the knockout stage of the under-19 men’s solo, narrowly missing further progression by just 0.4 seconds.
Results, however, are only one element of development.
The longer-term value lies in what athletes, coaches and federations take home after the event: a better understanding of international competition, additional technical experience, greater confidence and a clearer picture of what is required to progress towards future events.
Each international opportunity can therefore become part of a wider development process within a Member Federation.
As Beach Sprint Rowing continues to grow globally, the World Rowing Development Programme will continue to play an important role in helping ensure that more Member Federations have the opportunity to be part of that journey.