Wicklow Rowing Club's Kate Dunne produced a battling performance in the Women's Solo Beach Sprints at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Monday, 2nd November, going out in the Last 16 against Swiss race favourite Tanya Brendle.
The 17-year-old Irish rower, competing at the first IOC event to feature coastal rowing, finished in 2:56.57, just over seven seconds behind Brendle, who advanced to the quarter-finals in 2:49.51.
Dunne had qualified for the head-to-head knockout stage after finishing eighth in Sunday's time trial. As Afloat reported following her opening race, Dunne became the first Irish athlete to compete in beach sprint rowing at an Olympic event.
Despite facing the leading contender, the Wicklow athlete approached the race in good spirits.
"We were dancing at the start line, getting ready for the race, just enjoying it. The music was pumping, and we were dancing to the music," she said. "I'm up against number one, you have to worry about your own race, so I was just getting ready for my race."
Dakar Determination: Wicklow Rowing Club's Kate Dunne took on Swiss favourite Tanya Brendle in the Youth Olympic Women's Solo Beach Sprints, finishing just over seven seconds behind her opponent in the Last 16 as coastal rowing made its IOC event debut. Photo: Sportsfile
Dunne described a difficult entry into the water and a challenging turn at the top buoy, where she lost valuable ground.
"The sprint was good, entry was terrible. I saw my boat handler on the beach giving me direction. I looked around, and I was a fair bit off the top turning buoy, so I had to go hard on right and just about got around it."
With Brendle three or four boat lengths ahead after the turn, Dunne pushed hard on the return leg, attempting to use the swells to close the gap.
"Just really drove on and tried to catch a few swells, but it just wasn't enough in the end," she said.
Although her individual campaign has ended, Dunne's Youth Olympic experience continues in a non-medal mixed relay involving athletes from different nations.
The Dakar competition is a significant milestone for coastal rowing, with the beach sprint discipline scheduled to make its Olympic Games debut at Los Angeles 2028. The format combines a beach run with a short, high-intensity rowing race and a final sprint to the finish, placing a premium on boat handling, turning skills and speed.
