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By Owen Morgan
Wales has once again proved it’s a major player when it comes to hosting global sporting events.
Saundersfoot’s staging of the World Rowing Coastal Championships last weekend has drawn glowing praise from the sport’s president.
In an exclusive interview with Dai Sport, World Rowing president Jean-Christophe Rolland paid tribute to the Pembrokeshire event.
Looking out over the picturesque Saundersfoot Harbour as the racing continued on Sunday afternoon, Rolland said he was delighted with how the three days of competition had gone.
“Absolutely, so far, so good,” said Rolland. “In terms of the organisation, in terms of how we present the event, yes, we can be very satisfied with what we have been provided with.
“The organising committee has made great preparations, a great job and obviously, thanks to the support from the county and from the Welsh Government. So, we are very pleased and very grateful.”
The Saundersfoot setting certainly ensured the rower – who had travelled from as far afield as Japan, New Zealand and the USA, as well as a number of Welsh clubs such as Mumbles, Llandaff and Carmarthen – were faced with a fitting challenge.
From driving rain on Friday and flat seas on Saturday, to brisk southerly winds and white-topped waves for Sunday’s finals day, the venue ensured the seven world titles on offer were hard-earned.
The course, which started on Saundersfoot beach and varied between 4km and 6km in length, was described as one of the most challenging many of the competitors would have faced.
Rolland, who himself rowed for France at three Olympics Games – winning bronze at Atlanta 1996 and gold at Sydney 2000 – said: “Athletes have to adapt, and the first thing to say is the location is really great.
“If you look at the environment in Wales, you have this reputation for the weather – that it might be difficult!
“We had sun, we had rain, we had wind. But I must say, the field of play – the sea – is really great. It was quite tough this morning, but this is exactly what we expect with coastal rowing.”
The International Olympic Committee member added: “It’s a little bit less tough this afternoon for the remaining finals. But I think the crews and the teams have been enjoying this beautiful landscape. And the conditions on the water are exactly what we want.”
Last weekend was just the first of a world championship double bill for Saundersfoot, which followed in the footsteps of the likes of Cannes, Nice, Sydney and Hong Kong in hosting the coastal event.
This Friday, the village sees the start of another three-days of competition – the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals.
The beach sprint format is currently enjoying a high profile having just been added to the list of sports to be contested at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Australia.
It is also being tipped for inclusion in the programme for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The format involves head-to-head racing in three different sizes of boat – coastal solos, doubles and coxed quads – for men’s, women’s and mixed crews.
Each race begins with a run from the beach to the boat; athletes then slalom sprint row to a buoy about 250m offshore and straight back.
The race ends with one rower from each boat jumping out and making a final dash to a finish line on the beach.
The Saundersfoot event will also feature the visit of HRH the Princess Royal on Friday, when she will be introduced to competitors racing in the preliminary rounds.
Immediately before visiting the Beach Sprint finals, HRH The Princess Royal will unveil the name of the Wales International Coastal Centre’s life-size, three-masted Coastal Schooner, which will feature a maritime heritage centre, prior to the grand opening of the Wales International Coastal Centre in March 2023.
Saundersfoot Harbour and the Wales International Coastal Centre is set to be a future base for international coastal rowing, water activities, and events.
Rolland said World Rowing would be happy to see future events held locally on the evidence of last weekend’s competition.
“We will encourage Saundersfoot to continue presenting events, for sure,” he said. “When it comes to World Championships, we have obviously interest from many places in the world so we have to also allocate to different venues in the world.
Not long to go now! 😁🙌
👉 Weekend 1: (7th-9th October, Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire) World Rowing Coastal Championships.
👉 Weekend 2: (14th-16th October, Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire) World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals.
All are welcome to the Opening Ceremony tomorrow evening! pic.twitter.com/ATYFRLa2WF— World Rowing Coastal Championships 2022 (@wrcoastals22) October 5, 2022
“That said, we are very pleased with this occasion, and this is the feedback we will get. The athletes, the teams. have been very, very enthusiastic about being here.
“We will have another event – the beach sprint finals – which is slightly different, but the same discipline. So, we’ll see at the end of next weekend when we have proper feedback.
“But yes, I would say we can be supportive of Saundersfoot to continue to stage events.”
The championships came to Saundersfoot following a successful bid by British Rowing in association with Welsh Rowling and supported by Welsh Sea Rowing.
Funding partners included Welsh Government, Pembrokeshire County Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the National Lottery.The event recently gained the accolade of ISO 21201 certification; one of the first of its event type globally to have done so.
The certification reflects the event’s commitment to sustainability and to protecting the communities and unparalleled coastal landscapes within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
Last weekend’s event saw 500 rowers descend on the village, while the beach sprint finals have attracted their largest ever entry with 249 athletes in 143 crews representing 26 nations expected to attend.
What is Coastal Rowing and what makes it different to the flat-water Olympic-style of rowing? Watch this video to find out 😁#BringOnTheWaves 🌊🌊🌊
7th-9th October – World Rowing Coastal Championships
14th-16th October – World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals @WorldRowing pic.twitter.com/7RfjxNGlMI— World Rowing Coastal Championships 2022 (@wrcoastals22) September 30, 2022
Such numbers present a huge logistical challenge for the organisers, who have recruited a small army of volunteer “Wave Makers” who worked tirelessly last weekend to ensure the event ran smoothly.
Rolland paid particular tribute to the Wave Makers.
“To stage such an event requires a lot of work and the contributions of many actors,” said the 18-time French national title winner.
“In this, the volunteers are key. Without volunteers, this is simply impossible to stage.
“Here we can see there are many volunteers and they are doing a fantastic job. It’s really a part of the success and organisation of the event.
“You know, in the world of sport we do rely on the volunteer. I’m told that is still a legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games volunteer system. And I must say that we can we be very pleased.
“When you welcome the world, athletes from everywhere, and they feel welcome, this is because of the people they see and are in contact with. Those people who make them welcome are the volunteers.
“They are really part of the success of such events. Obviously, there are a lot of hard workers in the organising committee and everything is in the details. We have millions of details for an event like this, everything has to be to be fine.
“So it’s not easy, it’s complex. But at the end of the day, of course, we have to rely on all these people, all the volunteers.
“They can be thanked for their contribution to the success of the event.”
The efforts of the volunteers and all the organisers in Saundersfoot were certainly appreciated by the competitors.
Ben Mason, of the Nelson Rowing Club in New Zealand, who won bronze with Brook Robertson in the coastal men’s double sculls, said: “I’ve enjoyed my time here. I’m very pleased to be to be here and I will come back next weekend as well.
“It’s been very successful so far. It’s been really a lot of fun. It was very challenging today, but fun at the same time.
“Yesterday we had flat water, it was a little bit like flat water rowing in a way. And then today, to come out and have the complete opposite, you have to adapt.
“It really comes down to who can adapt and handle it best. Hats off to all the crews that can row in flat and really rough water.”
Asked whether he’d like to race in Wales gain, Mason said: “I’d love to. I think it’s a lovely country and I love the sport. It’s been a great experience so far. I’d definitely be more than happy to come back and do it again.
“I think I can easily speak on behalf of everyone on the New Zealand team and say we’ve had a great time so far and look forward to the rest of the regatta and next weekend as well.
Adrian Miramon Quiroga, of Wicklow Rowing Club, who won gold for Ireland in the coastal men’s solo said: “The conditions are perfect for me. It’s an incredible place and incredible conditions for coastal rowing.”
This weekend’s action starts on Friday at 8.15am and continues throughout the weekend.
For more information go to https://www.worldrowingcoastals2022.org/
