Weekend Wrap: Canada Brings Home Hardware at Commonwealth Beach Sprint Champs
Nations from around the Commonwealth came to Bridgeport, Barbados last week to compete at the 2025 Commonwealth Rowing Association Beach Sprint Championships.
The event took place over three days (Nov. 21-23) at Browne’s Beach, where the competitors raced in U19, U21 and Open divisions in solo and doubles categories, as well as a team relay that featured three different legs. Team Canada sent a strong contingent to the event, with a total of seven athletes competing in all ten medal events. Ontario rowers Oliver Brennan (Kingston Rowing Club) and Autumn Prior (Orillia Rowing Club) each had success regattas in the U19 division, as Brennan earned the gold in the men’s solo event and Prior brought home the silver in the women’s solo. They also teamed up for the U19 mixed double, where they finished in the first place with a victory over Barbados in the final.
Team Canada also earned medals in the U21 division, as Grace Comes claimed the silver in the women’s solo category. She earned her second medal of the event in the U21 mixed double, where she teamed with Dennis Ovidyenko (Don Rowing Club) to earn the bronze. Ovidyenko also competed in the U21 men’s solo, where he bowed out in the repechage round. Other results for Canada at the event included Lucy MacLeod (NS) and Raphael Kaiser (QC) who each lost in the quarterfinals of the women’s and men’s solo respectively, and MacLeod and Aubrey Oldham (Leander Boat Club) who narrowly missed a medal, finishing in fourth place of the Open Mixed Double after falling to Scotland in the bronze medal race. Team Canada finished in seventh place in the Team Relay after winning the D Final over Jersey.
Australia led the overall medal standings with seven medals, all gold, followed by Canada who earned the second-most medals with five (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze). Other countries earning medals included Scotland (4), England (3), Wales (3), Barbados (3), Jersey (2), Turks and Caicos (1), and Guernsey (1). A total of 14 nations and territories competed at the event.
For full results from the Commonwealth Rowing Association Beach Sprint Championships visit Regatta Master.
Photo is property of Rowing Canada Aviron.
