Not shy in the spotlight, Los Angeles (LA) is regarded as the heart of America’s film industry and heralded as the global entertainment centre. 

Its vibrant and diverse culture and landscape attract people worldwide to experience life in one of the planet's most iconic locations. 

In 2028, the city will host its third Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28), where five new Olympic titles will be up for the taking. Baseball/Softball, Lacrosse, and Cricket will return to the Games programme, and Flag Football and Squash will premiere for the first time ever. 

However, the new additions to the LA28 programme don’t end there.

For the first time in Olympic history, Coastal Rowing in the discipline of Beach Sprints will be included in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games programme alongside Classic Rowing. 

Located in Southern California, with the Pacific Ocean on its doorstep and famous for its beach culture, LA seems the perfect place to launch a new beach-based sport into the Olympic schedule. 

The Waterfront in Long Beach has been selected as the venue for the Beach Sprint races, which will also host open-water swimming. 

What is Coastal Rowing?

Coastal Rowing is regarded as the ‘wilder cousin’ of Classic Rowing. Unlike Classic Rowing, which typically occurs on flat water such as lakes or rivers, Coastal Rowing is, as you’ve most likely guessed, on the waves. 

Like anything involving the sea, the ocean's unpredictability plays a large part in the sport's temperamental nature, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats. Athletes face windy and unstable conditions head-on in the battle for the winning title and glory.

What are the disciplines in Coastal Rowing?

Coastal Rowing involves different disciplines, including 4 or 6km endurance races and Beach Sprints.

Beach Sprints explained

In Beach Sprints, athletes must run from the start line to the water’s edge, jump into their boat  row 250 metres out to sea slaloming around a series of bouys, turn and race straight back to the shore. The final run, the length of which can vary with the tide, ends in a dive for a buzzer - first there wins, second place is knocked out. 

Running, rowing, and navigating, all while the ocean is doing its (unpredictable) thing. No wonder it’s regarded as the extreme version of rowing. 

Will the waves help or hinder? It truly depends on where you are in the race and how aggressive the swell is!

Which races and distances will be included?

Three Beach Sprint events have been finalised for the LA28 programme:

• Coastal Mixed Double Sculls
• Coastal Men’s Solos
• Coastal Women’s Solos

This means Rowing will feature a mixed event at the Olympic Games for the first time ever.

British Rowing

With an additional Rowing discipline added to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this is an exhilarating time for our partners, British Rowing.

At the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals 2024, Great Britain had its best results to date, winning three golds and a silver medal across the senior, para, and junior squads. The team finished second overall on the medal table.

British Rowing Sprint academies are now open for rowers who have the potential to race sprints at the Olympics. The high-performance centres provide professional coaching, equipment, and support to help the development of athletes from any background who demonstrate potential within the Olympic Beach Sprint discipline. For more information, please visit the British Rowing website here.

Coastal Rowing opens the doors to rowers based away from flat water spaces, enhancing the sport's accessibility to wider communities. It’s currently considered one of the fastest-growing communities of rowers.

For more information about this year’s Coastal Rowing events, you can check out British Rowing’s competition calendar. Most competitions are open to beginners and will point you to where you can try a taster session to ensure you get in and out of the boat safely.

British Rowing also provides coastal clubs that offer affordable learn to row sessions. If you’re interested, please check them out here.

Follow British Rowing 

Facebook: @BritishRowing
Instagram: @britishrowing
X: @BritishRowing
YouTube: @britishrowing

britishrowing.org

Photos courtesy of Anthony Benoit 

Published on August 06, 2025