Beach Sprints and Coastal Rowing Added to LA 2028 Olympic Program
Beach Sprints, a form of coastal rowing, have been introduced to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic program, featuring five coastal rowing events without a lightweight category. The competition format includes a head-to-head race that begins on land with athletes sprinting before entering boats. Competitors row around a buoy, return to shore, then sprint across sand to the finish line.
To address the challenges of boat costs and accessibility, a pool of wider boats will be provided. Participants select their boat two days before the competition and must adapt to variations in hull fins and wave conditions.
Guin Batten, chair of the World Rowing coastal commission, who has championed the coastal rowing initiative, describes coastal and classic rowing as complementary disciplines. New Zealand Olympic champion Emma Twigg has embraced coastal rowing and won the recent World Championships held in Turkey. Other notable athletes include Finn Hamill, Anders Martin, and Chris Bak.
Coastal rowing has developed across the UK, with active communities in Wales (Saundersfoot), Scotland (St Andrews University), Northern Ireland (Glenarm), and England (clubs in Tynemouth, Scarborough, Whitby, Lowestoft). Sandbanks hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Beach Sprint, with Namibia in 2022 and Barbados also serving as hosts.
During the Games, Long Beach, Los Angeles, will host these coastal rowing events alongside open-water swimming, windsurfing, foil, and kitesurfing competitions. This collection of sports promises a more unpredictable and entertaining spectacle for audiences.
