The University of St Andrews has been officially recognised by British Rowing as both a GB Beach Sprint Performance Development Academy and a GB Olympic Beach Sprint Training Venue, cementing its role at the heart of Great Britain’s preparations for the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
Lewis McCue, Director of Rowing at St Andrews, said: “The University of St Andrews, renowned for its academic excellence and sporting ambition, is proud to support the next generation of Olympic rowers and contribute to the growth of coastal rowing in the UK.
“This latest accreditation from British Rowing recognises the continued development of our coastal sculling programme, including the work of the GB Coastal Sculling Academy established in 2023. Working in partnership with specialist Beach Sprints Pathway Coach Iain Docwra and supported by Scottish Rowing, the Academy has laid the foundation for St Andrews to now serve as both a Performance Development Academy and an Olympic Training Venue for the GB Beach Sprint squad.
“We are excited to play a central role in preparing athletes for LA 2028 and beyond, offering a world-class coastal training environment here in Scotland.”
The dual designation highlights St Andrews’ growing reputation as a centre for coastal rowing. In partnership with Scottish Rowing and sportscotland, the University has already developed a Beach Sprints Performance Centre at East Sands and delivered strong performances through the University Boat Club. This includes podium finishes at the Scottish Championships, a top-ten placing at the Prince Albert Challenge II, and international success through GB representative Ryan Glymond, who coxed the Mixed Quad to gold at the 2024 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals. Fellow Saint Cam Buchan is now training full-time with the GB squad under Olympic Head Coach Tom Pattichis.
Scottish Rowing CEO Lee Boucher said: “This recognition marks an important step in ensuring Scotland is at the forefront of coastal sculling’s Olympic journey. By working closely with the University of St Andrews, British Rowing and sportscotland, we are creating new opportunities for athletes across the country to experience, enjoy and excel in the Beach Sprints discipline as we build towards Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.”
British Rowing Olympic Head Coach – Beach Sprints, Tom Pattichis, added: “We’re excited to continue developing our partnership with the University of St Andrews and Scottish Rowing to build on the work we’ve done to date in developing the GB Beach Sprint Rowing programme. St Andrews and the surrounding area provides a perfect environment for developing rowers in the Olympic Beach Sprint format, and we’re looking forward to working with Saints Sport, Scottish Rowing and sportscotland to support athletes as they work towards LA 2028, as well as identifying talent from the local area for future Olympic Games.”
sportscotland Director of Sport, Craig Burn, said: “We are delighted to support this partnership through our investment in Scottish Rowing and the support services we provide to performance athletes. When partners come together like this and work towards a shared outcome it can only be of huge benefit to Scottish athletes.
“The range of specialist services provided by the sportscotland institute of sport is key to helping athletes perform at their best and we are proud to play a part in what is a team effort to help ensure Scotland’s athletes are ready to compete with the best at the very highest level.
“We look forward to working together to deliver a world-class beach sprints programme that can deliver success at the Los Angeles Olympic Games and beyond.”
With Beach Sprints set to make their Olympic debut in 2028, the University of St Andrews now stands at the forefront of Britain’s coastal rowing ambitions, offering a world-class environment to nurture the next generation of Olympic champions.
Earlier this summer, Saints Sport hosted Louise Kingsley (Director of Performance, British Rowing) and Tom Pattichis (Olympic Head Coach, British Rowing), along with Lee Boucher (Chief Executive Scottish Rowing), Craig Burn (Director of Sport, sportscotland) and Kevin McHugh (Performance Manager, sportscotland) to view a GB Beach Sprints training session at East Sands.
With thanks to St Andrews University
