University of Bath fresher Emma Nicholson wins landmark gold for GB at World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in China
University of Bath student Emma Nicholson made history by winning Great Britain’s first-ever U19 Women’s Double Sculls title at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals 2026.
The Mathematics fresher and crew-mate Lexi Gill dominated their competition in Qingdao, China, as they recorded the fastest time trial and then defeated opposition from the United States and France in the knockout stages.
That set up a gold-medal match against the host nation, represented by Lele Li and Jiale Gong, and the GB Rowing Team pair led from the off, eventually finishing eight seconds clear to claim the title in 2:52.37.
A delighted Nicholson told World Rowing: “We won the time trial but I didn’t think we were going to win again. I missed out on a medal by a second last year, so it’s really nice to go all the way and win.”
Beach Sprint sees competitors start on the sand and run to their coastal rowing boats before navigating a 250m slalom course. After rounding the final buoy, they row back to shore and sprint up the beach before crossing the line.
Nicholson, whose home club is Hexham RC, is a new member of Bath University Boat Club. Find out more about rowing at the University of Bath by visiting teambath.com/rowing.
