Rowers Battle Through Difficult Waves at the 2026 Lithuanian and Baltic Championship

Despite sunny weather at the Lithuanian and Baltic Beach Sprint Championship, held in Klaipėda, Lithuania 8-9 August, rowers faced challenging conditions that pushed all of the racing back to the final day. Some athletes took to wearing protective helmets and even lifejackets in choppy water that flipped several boats during the weekend.

Hosts Lithuania eventually came out on top with four wins from six events, plus two second places and two thirds. World top 5 Lithuanian rower Raminta Morkunaite took gold in both the women’s solo and the mixed double alongside Zygimanta Galisanskis.

Estonia came second in the medal table with one gold, three silvers and two bronzes. The country did especially well in the youth category, and under-19 mixed double champions Steven Runin and Nele Lohk notably also both picked up medals in the solos. And Finland’s Joel Naukkarinen won in the men’s solo to position his country ahead of Latvia in the final standings.

The complete podiums from the Lithuanian and Baltic Beach Sprint Championship were:

CW1x:

1. Raminta Morkūnaitė – Atžalynas Šiauliai Sports Center (Lithuania)
2. Jekaterina Simanoviča – Daugavpils Pilsēta (Latvia)
3. Tiia-Maria Rauttola – Lohjan Seudun Soutajat (Finland)

CM1x:

1. Joel Naukkarinen – Soutuseura NRC (Finland)
2. Žygimantas Gališanskis – Klaipėdos Irklavimo Centras (Lithuania)
3. Robin Hunt – Pärnu Sõudeklubi (Estonia)

CMix2x:

1. Žygimantas Gališanskis, Raminta Morkūnaitė – Klaipėdos Irklavimo Centras (Lithuania)
2. Marcus Viks, Rosa Davis Thompson – Pärnu Sõudeklubi (Estonia)
3. Joel Naukkarinen, Eeva Karppinen – Tako/NRC (Finland)

U19 CW1x:

1. Mėta Karačkinaitė – Sostinės Sporto Centras (Lithuania)
2. Nele Lohk – Pärnu Sõudeklubi (Estonia)
3. Ieva Avlosevičiūtė – Atžalynas Šiauliai Sports Center (Lithuania)

U19 CM1x:

1. Eimantas Kleinauskas – Klaipėdos Irklavimo Centras (Lithuania)
2. Martin Lee – Pärnu Sõudeklubi (Estonia)
3. Steven Runin – Pärnu Sõudeklubi (Estonia)

U19 CMix2x:

1. Steven Runin/Nele Lohk – Pärnu Sõudeklubi (Estonia)
2. Justas Domarkas, Andželika Daunoraitė – Atžalynas Šiauliai Sports Center (Lithuania)
3. Deividas Kanarskas, Ieva Avlosevičiūtė – Klaipėdos/Atžalynas (Lithuania)