Rowing makes Olympic history with the inclusion of ‘Beach Sprints’ at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games

The International Olympic Committee announced that Beach Sprint Rowing, a format of the Coastal Rowing discipline, will be included in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games programme, alongside Classic Rowing. For the first time, Rowing will be featured in two different disciplines, both set to be showcased at the heart of the Olympic Games.

The inclusion of Beach Sprint Rowing in the 2028 Olympic Games programme is the outcome of a decade-long development of Coastal Rowing with the active support of our 159 members and rowing communities across the world. World Rowing has embarked on an ambitious, global growth strategy for the discipline, underpinned by increased investments across geographies and participation in high-profile multisport events.

In 2023, Beach Sprint Rowing was featured at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Barletta, Italy, after being part of the Mediterranean Beach Games in Greece. The format will also be part of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal and the 2026 Commonwealth Games, in addition to other high-profile Continental multisport games and World Championships taking place every year. That global growth strategy will continue with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

“The inclusion of Coastal Rowing at LA28, through the Beach Sprints format, is expected to be transformational for our sport in terms of global exposure, and in making an exciting form of rowing accessible to new populations, said World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland. We believe Beach Sprint Rowing has the potential to enhance the Olympic programme by embracing beach culture and our shared values of universality, gender-equality and sustainability, while delivering genuine innovation in sport, broadcast and fan entertainment.

The final decision on the events, quotas and competition formats will be taken by the IOC Executive Board after the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Three medal events will be proposed by World Rowing: the men’s solo (one athlete); women’s solo (one athlete), and the mixed double sculls (two athletes). For the first-time ever, Rowing would feature a mixed event at the Olympic Games.

As for Classic Rowing, the Olympic regatta will be staged at the Long Beach Marine Stadium, the 1932 Olympic Games course. The programme will not include the lightweight double sculls, with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games marking the last time when lightweight rowing is featured on the Olympic programme.

The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from 14 to 30 July 2028. The dates and events of the Classic Rowing and Beach Sprint Rowing competitions will be confirmed at a later stage.

The attribution process for the World Rowing Coastal Championships & Beach Sprint Finals in 2025, 2026 and 2027 – which will be the first qualification opportunity for the LA28 Olympic Games – is due to open soon, and expressions of interest can already be submitted to World Rowing.

To learn more about Beach Sprint Rowing, click here to watch a presentation of the discipline, here to learn more on “How to Beach Sprint” or click here to download our media booklet.