Millie Griffin and Alex Watt to Represent Australia at Youth Olympic Games

Rowing Australia is pleased to announce that Millie Griffin (Canberra Girls Grammar, ACT) and Alex Watt (University of Queensland, QLD) have been selected as Australia’s 2026 Youth Olympic Games representatives in beach sprint rowing.

The 2026 Youth Olympic Games take place in Dakar, Senegal, from 31 October to 3 November, where athletes will compete in beach sprint rowing across Men’s Solo, Women’s Solo and Mixed Double Scull categories.

Griffin and Watt earned their selection into the event by winning the Youth Olympic Games Beach Sprint Solo trials, held during the 2026 Australian & Oceania Beach Sprints Rowing Championships at Currumbin Creek on 4 September. In this special event category, eligible rowers competed in time trials followed by knock-out rounds to determine the male and female athletes to represent Australia.

Both athletes will gain invaluable experience representing Australia in the Beach Sprint format, which will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Olympic Games. For Griffin and Watt, Dakar represents an important step in their progression towards Rowing Australia's High Performance program, a pathway that directly benefits from the continued support of Principal Partner Hancock Prospecting and RA Patron Mrs Gina Rinehart AO.

Rowing Australia also acknowledges and is grateful for the vital support provided by the Australian Institute of Sport, the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Government and Commonwealth Games Australia.

Griffin and Watt will be guided by coach and Olympian Kendall Brodie (ACT) while competing in Dakar, and both athletes are incredibly excited by the opportunity to compete on the world stage.

Speaking on her selection, Griffin said "I'm really proud to be selected to the Youth Olympic Team, I'm so grateful for the opportunity and I can't wait to rep the green and gold. I’m most excited to represent Australia and experience the whole Youth Games atmosphere." 

Watt is equally thrilled about competing at the Games: "I feel very excited and honoured to be able to represent Australia at the Youth Olympic Games. It’s such a great opportunity for me, and I’m really looking forward to being a part of the Olympic team. I want to perform at my absolute best and develop myself as an athlete through this experience."

Rowing Australia Beach Sprints Head Coach James Loveday congratulated Griffin and Watt on their selection, and is excited to see them both compete in the upcoming Games:

"Millie and Alex both had exceptional performances at the Australian & Oceania Beach Sprints Championships, winning four and two gold medals respectively. Their performances to win the Youth Olympic Games trials were particularly impressive and a fabulous competitive experience them to prepare for the Youth Olympics. It will be a great experience for them to test their skills in Dakar.”

About the Youth Olympic Games Beach Sprints

The Youth Olympic Games are an elite sporting event for young people from all over the world aged up to 17 at the time of the Games. The 2026 Games in Dakar Senegal will feature Beach Sprints Rowing across the Men’s Solo, Women’s Solo and Mixed Double Scull categories.

For more information on the event, visit the World Rowing website.