Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota has been selected as the site for the 2020 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic rowing team trials. The event will determine who represents the United States at the Olympics in Tokyo.
The exact boat classes that will be racing in Sarasota won’t be finalized until the completion of the 2019 World Rowing Championships which takes place this August in Austria. The 2020 trials event however is expected to feature racing in eight Olympic events and three Paralympic events.
Since it opened in 2014, Nathan Benderson Park has sought to establish itself as a world-class facility for rowing. The lake is open to the public, but has been scientifically calibrated for rowers. It boasts 45-degree angle underwater slopes. A $1 million wave attenuator bisects the lake, making sure there are as few waves as possible. The race course specifications include 2,180 meters in length, 630 meters wide and on average 6 meters deep.
The lake has hosted numerous international and national rowing events including the 2017 World Rowing Championships and 2018 World Rowing Masters Regatta, in addition to the 2016 Olympic trials. In July, the venue will host the 2019 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.
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