The Long Beach Marine Stadium is a marine venue located in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

. Created in 1932 to host the

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

events for the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

in neighboring

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, the stadium was the first manmade rowing course in the United States.

History

Marine Stadium Long Beach California aerial view

The site was purchased in 1923 and Marine Stadium was created two years later when the

Alamitos Bay Alamitos Bay is an inlet on the Pacific Ocean coast of southern California, United States, between the cities of Long Beach and Seal Beach, at the outlet of the San Gabriel River. It is near Los Angeles. The bay is named for the Spanish word f ...

was dredged to only in length. An additional was dredged by 1932 in time for the Olympics in LA. Turf replaced the temporary grandstands in 1997. The following year, the venue expanded to accommodate new teen and disabled rowing programs. Permanent restrooms replaced temporary ones in 2009. The site is now registered as

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

#1014. Marker NO. 1014 at the site reads: *NO. 1014 LONG BEACH MARINE STADIUM - Created in 1932 for the rowing events of the Xth Olympiad, the Stadium was the first manmade rowing course in the United States. Its width allowed four teams to race abreast, eliminating additional heats and allowing oarsmen to enter the finals at the peak of their form. Later it served as the venue for the 1968 and 1976 United States men's Olympic rowing trials and the 1984 United States women's Olympic rowing trials. The site remains an important training and competitive center for rowers, including our National and Olympic teams.

1932 & 2028 Summer Olympics

The Long Beach Marine Stadium hosted the rowing competition at the

, the first time Los Angeles hosted the Olympics. The venue will host rowing and canoe sprint during the

2028 Summer Olympics The 2028 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, also known as Los Angeles 2028 or LA28) is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from July 14 to July 30, 2028, in and around Los Angeles, Cali ...

. The stadium also hosted the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

trials for the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport ev ...

that were held in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

References

1932 Summer Olympics official report.
pp. 70–73.
City of Long Beach, California Marine Stadium.City of Long Beach California Marine Stadium history.
{{coord, 33.7611, N, 118.1216, W, source:wikidata, display=title Venues of the 1932 Summer Olympics Venues of the 2028 Summer Olympics Olympic rowing venues Olympic canoeing venues Sports venues in Long Beach, California Sports venues completed in 1932 1932 establishments in California