World Rowing Welcomes Confirmation of Rowing Programme and Quotas for LA 2028 Olympic Games

World Rowing welcomes the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board to maintain Rowing’s overall athlete quota and to confirm the Rowing Events Programme for the LA28 Olympic Games, officially making way for the inclusion of Beach Sprint Rowing for the first time on the Olympic programme, along with ‘Classic’ Rowing.

The decision, which follows the recommendations of the Olympic Programme Commission (OPC) regarding the composition of the sports and event programme of the LA28 Olympics, represents a strong endorsement of Rowing’s enduring relevance in the Olympic Movement and reinforces the sport’s commitment to gender equality, universality and innovation. The IOC confirmed that the athlete quota for Rowing will be maintained at 502 athletes overall, with 64 athlete quota places for the new Olympic discipline of Coastal Beach Sprints.

With the addition of Coastal Rowing, Beach Sprints to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games programme, Rowing will have one additional medal event overall compared to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 – 12 in ‘Classic’ Rowing, and three in Rowing Coastal Beach Sprints, bringing the overall number to 15 medal events.

The recent decision of the World Rowing Congress to include Mixed events, including a Mixed Eight, on the World Championships programmes have laid a solid foundation for future consideration in the Olympic context – particularly in view of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. World Rowing’s proposal for a Mixed Eight on the Olympic programme, which aims to further enhance gender equality and bring new energy to the Olympic Rowing competition, has been met with strong interest by the IOC.

While it was decided as “too soon” to include the Mixed Eight at LA28, World Rowing is looking forward to the implementation of the Mixed Eight at the World Rowing Championships, debuting this year in Shanghai, China and continuing the discussions with the IOC about the future development of the Olympic Rowing programmes.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the IOC Executive Board’s decision, which confirms the growing presence of Rowing among the core sports at the Games”, said Jean-Christophe Rolland, President of World Rowing. “We are also encouraged by the IOC’s engagement with our vision for the future of the sport, including innovations such as the Mixed Eight and new disciplines such as Coastal Beach Sprints. In a quite competitive context, this gives us strong momentum as we look ahead and continue to evolve our sport in line with the Olympic values.”

World Rowing will continue to work in close partnership with the IOC and LA28 to deliver an exciting and inclusive competition in Los Angeles—one that showcases the athleticism, tradition and modern evolution of Rowing to a global audience.