Sophia Wightman only began coastal rowing in April after her friends tempted her to pick up the oars.

Now she's a world championship medallist.

Australia claimed its first-ever senior medal at the world rowing beach sprint finals in November, when the mixed coxed quad sprinters won bronze.

The team, whose average age is about 20, had only trained together for a couple of months.

In fact, Wightman wouldn't have even made the competition if it weren't for a little encouragement.

"I was doing flat water up until about April. My friends were trying coastal rowing one morning, and were like, 'Why don't you come?'" Wightman said.

​"The first trials for the Australian team were that weekend, so I went, had a go, and then made the team halfway through the year."

A few months later, Wightman was one of five Australians competing in the knockout-style world championships in Türkiye.

​After beating the Netherlands in the quarter-finals but losing to eventual champions Spain in the semis, the Australians were pitted against the home team in a bid for bronze.

One rower from each crew sprinted across the sand and jumped in their boat, joining the other four before racing out to a yellow buoy.

Both teams then rounded the buoy, racing back to shore at about 20km/h, before another rower jumped out and sprinted to the finish line.

​"There's so much unknown, but that makes it more exciting being out in the waves," Wightman said.

​"You never actually know what to expect. You can plan for your perfect race, but things are bound to happen if you get hit by a wave, eat a buoy, or the wind's really bad."

Team cox Ryder Taylor knew the competition didn't expect the Australians to perform as well as they did because they rarely compete compared with their European counterparts.

​"We weren't really expected to medal, but as a crew we all knew we could do it. We had that quiet confidence," Taylor told AAP.

The athletes now turn their attention towards preparing for the Los Angeles Olympics, where coastal rowing beach sprints will make their Games debut.

​Although the four-person format won't feature, mixed doubles sculls and singles will.

"LA is definitely on everyone's mind, especially in coastal rowing," Taylor said.

"The world championships were really important for us because it was the first senior medal for Australia, and it puts us on the radar for LA.

"We're going to be strong. We're going to compete there very well."

AAP

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