RMB South African Rowing Team Show Grit and Promise at the 2026 World Rowing Championships

The 54th World Rowing Championships concluded on a high note after seven thrilling days of racing on the historic Bosbaan course in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Held from August 24 to 30, 2026, the regatta saw ten world titles defended, four world best times set, and 23 gold medals awarded. Amidst this deeply competitive international field, the RMB South African rowing contingent delivered a series of spirited performances, highlighted by commanding victories in placement finals and hard-fought campaigns in the single sculls events.

Here is a look at how South Africa’s athletes fared at the Championships.

Courtney Westley & Katherine Williams – Women's Pair

In the Women’s Pair event, the South African duo of Courtney Westley and Katherine Williams showcased incredible resilience, bouncing back from a tough opening heat to close out their regatta with a commanding victory in Final C.

The pair began their campaign in Heat 3 against a deeply competitive field. Stationed in Lane 5, they settled into fifth position early on and maintained a steady rhythm through the opening half of the race with a 1000m split of 03:58.61. Despite a persistent push, they were unable to close the gap on the leading crews, ultimately crossing the line in fifth place with a time of 08:05.47 in a heat won by Melita Abraham and Antonia Abraham from Chile.

This result placed Westley and Williams in Final C, where they completely flipped the script. Realigned in Lane 3, the South Africans delivered a devastating wire-to-wire masterclass. They burst out of the blocks to take an immediate lead, asserting their dominance by the 500m mark (01:47.61) and refusing to relinquish control. Extending their advantage at every milestone, the duo crossed the finish line in a blistering 07:36.70, shaving nearly 30 seconds off their heat time, to claim a decisive first-place finish ahead of Wanning Ren and Hongshan Zhu from China (07:41.84).

Paige Badenhorst – Women's Single Sculls

In the Women’s Single Sculls, South Africa’s Paige Badenhorst delivered a formidable campaign that carried her through to a top-10 world ranking finish.

Badenhorst opened her regatta in dominant fashion in Heat 5, producing a wire-to-wire victory. She controlled the pace from the start, leading the pack at every 500-meter split to cross the finish line first in 08:00.98, narrowly holding off a challenge from the 2025 World Champion, Ireland’s Fiona Murtagh (08:01.18).

Advancing to Quarterfinal 2, Badenhorst demonstrated excellent early speed. She established herself in second place right out of the blocks and held that position through the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m marks. Although Lauren O’Connor from the United States managed to edge past her in the final stretch, Badenhorst comfortably secured her semifinal berth with a third-place finish in a time of 07:34.05, finishing behind Serbia’s Jovana Arsic and O’Connor.

Facing a blistering lineup in Semifinal 1, Badenhorst found it difficult to break into the crucial top-three qualification spots required for the A Final. She rowed a consistent race, maintaining fifth position across all the distance markers, and ultimately crossed the line in 07:44.42 in a heat won by Great Britain’s Lauren Henry (07:14.58).

This result placed her in Final B to determine her overall world ranking, and she rose to the occasion. Stationed in Lane 5, Badenhorst faced a fiercely competitive field but held her nerve. She settled into fourth position early on (01:48.40 at the 500m mark) and showed incredible consistency, holding onto that spot through the 1000m (03:41.22) and 1500m (05:34.46) splits. She powered through the final stretch to cross the line fourth in a time of 07:26.46, behind the leading boats of Alexandra Foester(GER), Tara Rigney(AUS), and Kateryna Dudchenko (UKR). This stellar Final B finish officially secured her a magnificent top-10 world ranking in the Women’s Single Sculls.

Christopher Baxter – Men's Single Sculls

In the Men’s Single Sculls, Christopher Baxter faced a demanding regatta, navigating a deeply competitive field to eventually contest Final E.

Baxter’s campaign began in Heat 1, where he squared off against a swift lineup. Sitting in fourth position through the opening 500 meters (01:48.10), he dropped one spot into fifth by the halfway mark. Despite his efforts to reel in the leaders, the South African maintained his fifth-place position through the final 1000 meters, crossing the line in 07:36.85 behind the heat’s pacesetters, Yauheni Zalaty from AIN2 and Bruno Cetraro Berriolo of Uruguay.

Moving into Final E to determine his overall world ranking, Baxter showcased a far more aggressive start. He rocketed out of the blocks to establish himself in second place, holding firm through both the 500m and 1000m markers with a strong split time of 03:26.34 at the halfway point. However, as the race intensified in the third quarter, he was overtaken, slipping into fourth position by the 1500m mark. Baxter held steady through the final sprint, closing out his regatta with a fourth-place finish in the E Final, clocking a significantly improved time of 07:01.90 in a race won by Dovydas Nemeravicius of Lithuania.

Looking to the Future

Beyond the times and finishes on the Bosbaan course, the regatta in Amsterdam represents a vital benchmark for South African rowing as a whole. Bridging the gap between domestic excellence and global podiums relies heavily on regular exposure to the world’s elite.

Reflecting on the importance of these international campaigns for the broader health and future of the sport back home, RowSA Vice Chairperson Carolyn Thompson highlighted the ripple effect these performances create.

“South African rowing has had a strong history at the World Rowing Championships, they have continued to punch above their weight, that is very inspirational for our next generation and for people coming through our rowing system and moving into that space,” Thompson stated.

“We continue to show what a small, not-well-funded nation can do, and give them hope. It’s great exposure for our athletes to understand where they need to get to at the next level to be able to perform at the Olympics and get to the Olympics. It’s great for our sponsors too to get that exposure.”

For More South African Sports News: Sport South Africa Home Page

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