Pitted against more than 1200 athletes from 100 countries, the Games provided invaluable experience for Australian athletes to develop their skills and grow as part of an elite multisport team.

Chef de Mission John Boultbee said this Games experience would provide ongoing benefit to athletes on their performance journey.

“All 40 Australian athletes represented their country and sport with pride to put their best performance on the sand,” Boultbee said.

“The Games have provided vital experience for athletes to compete at an elite global level in a multisport Team, that will continue to benefit them in their next sporting endeavours and I look forward to following their athletic journeys moving forward.

“I also want to thank the event organisers and city of Doha for providing excellent venues and a smooth Games environment allowing our athletes to focus on their performance.”

The Games provided an opportunity not only the 40 Australian athletes competing, but to showcase innovative sporting disciplines that appeal to Australia’s sporting community.

Gold Coast local Cory Teunissen won silver in Wakeboarding to secure Australia’s only medal of the Games, putting Australia 23rd on the medal table.

“To win Australia’s first medal at the first ever Beach Games, I’m just stoked,” Teunissen said.

“To be part of this awesome event and included in the Olympic environment has been great for me and great for our sport. Winning this medal for our whole Team is a really humbling experience.”

The Kitefoiling pair of Breiana Whitehead of Townsville and Natalie Flintrop of Melbourne epitomised the Australian spirit at the Games. After finishing their competition in 4th and 8th respectively in yesterday’s finals, the pair were straight back on the Doha water today to maximise their experience.

“The light and patchy conditions here are rarely available at home,” 19-year-old Whitehead said. “We want to get as much time as possible on the water so next time we’re racing in these conditions we’ve got that experience behind us.

“Competition may have finished but we can still get even more out of it. I’ve learned so many lessons this regatta –I can focus more on them in training at home and be a better racer because of the World Beach Games.”

48-year-old Flintrop took confidence from improving throughout the regatta and leaves knowing she can mix it with the best in the world.

“I didn’t know what to expect results wise these Games, but to get better and better each race and to know I have it in me to go toe to toe with world class racers is a great feeling,” she said. 

Sixteen-year-old Alisha Stevens was the youngest member of the team, part of the women’s 4x4 Beach Volleyball team that just missed bronze in a tournament that included FIVB World Tour event champions.

“This has been an amazing week, playing with these girls who have played all round the world and learning as much as I can from them has been a highlight,” Stevens said.

“Even though just missing the medals is tough, I’ve gotten so much experience from these Games in playing through pressure and in different environments, that will hopefully help me to be standing on a podium for Australia in the future.”

TEAM RESULTS

Beach Handball 

•    Women – 11th
•    Men – 8th

Handballer Rosa boyd also led the Australian Team as the official athlete representative at the Opening Ceremony. Find out more here.

Beach Volleyball 4x4

•    Women – 4th
•    Men – 5th

Read more here.

Karate

•    Marianna Sampani – 17th
•    Shaun Yuen – 17th

Find out more about Marianna and Shaun here.

Kitefoil Racing

•    Breiana Whitehead – 4th
•    Natalie Flintrop – 8th 

Catch the finals reaction here.

Sports Climbing

•    Oceania Mackenzie – 17th
•    Campbell Harrison – 19th 

Swimming – Open Water 5km

•    Mackenzie Brazier – 16th
•    Bailey Armstrong – 14th

Find out more here.

Wakeboarding

•    Cory Teunissen - silver

Catch up on Australia's wakeboarding medal run here.

About the Games

The Qatar 2019 World Beach Games saw more than 1200 athletes from almost 100 nations compete in 14 sports from 12-16 October.

The 40-strong Australian Team competed across Beach Volleyball, Karate, Sailing, Swimming, Sport Climbing, Beach Handball and Wakeboarding.

The Games offer a new take on the traditional Olympic schedule, showcasing new disciplines for Olympic sports like 4x4 Beach Volleyball, Beach Handball and Kitefoil Sailing.

The Games are organised by the Association of National Olympic Committees and aim to connect the Olympic community with new sporting disciplines centred on the beach.