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Samoa Rowing AssociationTalofa lava · Sāmoa alo va'a

Alia Marquardt

Bronze, Women's U19 Double, 2026 Oceania and Australian Beach Sprint Championships · Samoa's first medal at an international regatta · Sculling and Beach Sprint · Potomac Boat Club, Washington, D.C.

Alia Marquardt leaping from the coastal double onto the sand at Currumbin Creek, MARQUARDT SAM on her Samoa unisuit

Out of the boat — Women's U19 Double, Currumbin Creek, 6 September 2026 · Photo: Brad Redfern Photography

In September 2026 Alia raced for Samoa at the Oceania and Australian Beach Sprint Championships at Currumbin Creek on the Gold Coast, after World Rowing's Oceania development camp. She raced four events in three days. In the Women's U19 Double, in a composite crew with Lily Canfield of Gippsland Grammar, Australia, she won bronze: the first medal won by an athlete representing Samoa at an international regatta, and the first under the Samoa Rowing Association. She was the only athlete from the camp to win a medal.

Alia is a lightweight sculler. She rows the spring season for Deerfield Academy, where she also runs cross-country and swims, and the summer club season for Potomac Boat Club in Washington, D.C., coached by Carol Dinion and Matt Madigan. Her Samoan family comes from Malie on Upolu and Leone on Tutuila, in American Samoa.

Her coach at the 2026 Oceania programme was her father, Daniel Marquardt, the Association's Acting President. How selection is overseen is set out on the Governance page.

Alia Marquardt and Lily Canfield holding up their bronze medals on the sand at Currumbin Creek Alia Marquardt sprinting up the beach in the Samoa unisuit during a beach sprint race Alia Marquardt driving through the finish past the crowd, MARQUARDT SAM on her suit Alia Marquardt rowing a coastal solo head-on at the turn buoy Alia Marquardt leaping from the coastal double at the water's edge while her partner steadies the boat Alia Marquardt sculling at the catch in a single, the Samoan flag on her blade Alia Marquardt racing a coastal solo at the 2026 USRowing Youth Beach Sprint Nationals

Bronze, Women's U19 Double, with Lily Canfield (Gippsland Grammar) — Oceania and Australian Beach Sprint Championships, Gold Coast, September 2026

Racing record

YearEventBoatResult
2026Oceania & Australian Beach Sprint Championships, Gold Coast — for SamoaWomen's U19 Double (CJW2x), composite crew with L. Canfield (AUS)Bronze
2026Oceania & Australian Beach Sprint Championships, Gold Coast — for SamoaWomen's U23 Solo (CU23W1x), racing up an age groupQuarter-final
2026Royal Canadian Henley RegattaU19 4x3rd
2026USRowing Youth National Championships2V8+Bronze
2026USRowing Club National ChampionshipsYouth 1x4th
2026USRowing Youth Beach Sprint NationalsSolo (CJW1x)7th
2025Royal Canadian Henley RegattaU17 4x2nd

Media

The commentary call from the bronze-medal race. Twenty seconds.

Racing the Women's U19 Double through the buoys on Currumbin Creek. Twenty-four seconds.

The double on the water off the beach. Twelve seconds.

Video: Kevin Scott.

College coaches: Alia's recruiting materials (class year, erg scores, race video, transcript, questionnaire) are handled by her family rather than the Association. Write to talofa@samoarowing.org and a parent will reply.

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