The International Rowing Federation (World Rowing) is heading for Los Angeles. A delegation from the body, led by its President, Jean-Christophe Rolland, went to California last week to visit the headquarters of the LA 2028 Games Organising Committee (photo above) and the proposed rowing venue, the Long Beach Marine Stadium, formerly used for the 1932 Olympic Games. At the centre of the discussions was the collaboration between LA28, World Rowing and the US Rowing Federation over the next five years. In Los Angeles, the World Rowing team met with Organising Committee Chairman Casey Wasserman, Director of Athlete Relations Janet Evans, Chief Executive Officer Kathy Carter, Director of Operations John Harper, Games Delivery Consultant Doug Arnot and Director of Sport Niccolo Campriani. She also met with Gene Sykes, President of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). The World Rowing delegation took advantage of the opportunity to speak to the Californian organisers about the merits of beach sprinting, a rowing discipline proposed to the IOC for inclusion in the programme of the Los Angeles 2028 Games. As a reminder, the Olympic rowing regattas will be held in Long Beach over a distance of only 1,500m, 500m less than the usual standards for international competitions, as the Californian basin does not allow for 2,000m.
