2023 World Champion Janneke Van Der Meulen Takes Gold at the KNSRB/NK Beach Sprints

The fifth edition of the Royal Dutch Student Rowing Association’s beach sprint race on 11-12 July saw the Netherlands’ 2023 world champion, Janneke van der Meulen, win gold in the women’s solo, plus big waves that meant the coxed quad competitions were ultimately decided on time trials.

The regatta featured both student races run by the student rowing association (KNSRB) and competitions run by the country’s rowing association (NK). It was first held in 2022, and takes place on the Scheveningen beach in The Hague.

The Netherlands can probably be considered one of the sleeping giants in beach sprint. Its rowers topped the medal table at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (with four golds, three silvers and one bronze) and sits ninth on the all-time Olympic table and 14th in flat-water world championships. But the country hasn’t yet had quite the same success on the beach.

Van der Meulen, and especially the 2023 season, are key examples that demonstrate the potential of the Dutch. As well as winning the world championship in the women’s solo that year, she also won in the women’s double and the women’s quad at coastal worlds.

The complete national and student (KNSRB) podiums from the 2026 KNSRB/NK Beach Sprints were:

CW1x:

1. Janneke van der Meulen – Willem III
2. Isabel van Opzeeland – Nereus
3. Anna Sanders – Phocas

CM1x:

1. Owen Knowles – Skadi 2
2. Michiel Mantel – Willem III
3. Antonie Tilanus – Nereus

CMix2x:

1. Isabel van Opzeeland, Amos Keijser – Nereus/Maas
2. Anna Sanders, Michiel Mantel – Phocas/Willem III
3. Janneke van der Meulen, Cornelius Palsma – Willem III/Okeanos

CMix4x+ (results from time trial):

1. Yumiko van Diest, Niek van der Grift, Lisa Keurentjes, Emre Karaosmanoglu, Nino Bonsangue (c) – Willem III/Hoop/Proteus-Eretes/Laak
2. Laura Kempen, Stan Olijslager, Jorrit Kiestra, Leonoor Bos, Koen Baggus (c) – Proteus-Eretes
3. Michiel Bijlsma, Jolein Droppers, Cleo Kampers, Jorn Storcken, Myrthe Gijben (c) – Argo

KNSRB CW2x:

1. Fanny Bon, Susan Temming – Willem III
2. Florentine Steijlen, Floor Cornelisse – Nautilus
3. Anouk Hamminga, Iris Schuch – Gyas

KNSRB CM2x:

1. Twan Reijinga, Tristan Brobbel – Proteus-Estes
2. Nanne Mast, Sem Geilenkirchen – Pelargos
3. Emil Kragh-Hansen, Thies Calje – Argo

KNSRB CMix2x:

1. Yara Linnekamp, Silas Hoekstra – Argo
2. Christiane Walta, Jurn de Groot – Proteus-Eretes
3. Maura van der Poel, Rogier Derksen – Argo

KNSRB CW4x+ (results from time trial):

1. Maike van Veldhuizen, Mijke Dijken, Christiane Walta, Merijn Zoontjens, Kee Olthoff (c) – Proteus-Eretes

KNSRB CW4x+ (results from time trial):

1. Sven Lemsom, Krijn Roest, Marijn van Dam, Jurn de Groot, Nino Bonsangue (c) – Proteus-Eretes
2. Thomas Janssen, Igor de Koning, Stan Jansen, Jorik van Veen, Maarten Ruijgh (c) – Argo
3. Tygo Rompa, Niels Kanters, Pieter Jongepier, Maxim Meijerink, Mees Halkes (c) – Njord/Skøll/Laak/Proteus-Eretes/Laga

U18 CW1x:

1. Cato Bolt – Maas
2. Fleur Verkade – Breda
3. Liselotte Krenning – Maas

U18 CM1x:

1. Julius Jaap van Oeveren – Bastiani Angera
2. Wytse van Schie – Maas