Our History
During the organization of the 1996 Olympic Games, a Gainesville resident, Mr. Bill Fields, served as a member of the U.S. Olympic Atlanta Organizing Committee. Having been a member of the Great 8 rowing crew and 1952 Olympic Gold Medalist, he personally recommended that Lake Lanier was the perfect location for the rowing and canoe/kayak event for the 1996 games due to its natural barriers, calm water and long open stretches of water. Because of his role in creating Lake Lanier Olympic Park, we are proud to welcome visitors with a beautiful butterfly garden at the entrance in honor of him and his family. The Fields family will always hold a special place in our hearts as they are the reason the Lake Lanier Olympic Park exists.
After the Olympics the Lake Lanier Rowing Club and Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club were established to continue the Olympic Legacy and foster the next generation of athletes. Between 1996 and 2015, the clubs hosted numerous regional, state, national and international competitions along with recreational opportunities for the community.
In 2015 a group of community leaders saw the need to establish formal operations of the park. Lake Lanier Olympic Park Foundation (formally known as Gainesville-Hall 96) was re-established and contracted to manage the day to day operations of the park. In the first 4 years of establishment, the foundation invested over $1.5 million dollars into the Olympic Park through public-private sponsorships and support. These investments consisted of new docks, race course equipment and renovation of the Olympic Plaza and Tower. ADA Compliance was major part of these renovations with the construction of a new ADA Ramp and Bridge access into the tower. Due to these improvements, GH96 was able to host the 2016 Pan American Championship (Olympic Qualifier) and the 2018 ICF Dragon Boat World Championships. In 2019, the City of Gainesville annexed the park and took over the day to operations.
Today the Olympic Park is truly a community park, hosting various community activities from Regattas, Food Truck Nights, Concerts and numerous festivals. The Lake Lanier Olympic Park Foundation, the Olympic Legacy continues to drive and navigate our growth into one of the best facilities around the world for athletes and community members alike.
Major Canoe/Kayak and Rowing Events Hosted
1995
USRA National Championships
1996
US Olympic Rowing Trials
Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale Regatta
Centennial Olympic Games – Rowing & Canoe/Kayak
1997
Champion International Collegiate Regatta
Chattahoochee Chase Regatta
1998
NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship
Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta
Chattahoochee Chase Regatta
Georgia Games Regatta
1999
USRA Masters National Championships
Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta
Chattahoochee Chase Regatta
2000
Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta
Chattahoochee Chase Regatta
Georgia Games Regatta
2001
ECAC 9th Annual Avaya Collegiate Championships
NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship
Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta
Chattahoochee Chase Regatta
Georgia Games Regatta
2002
John Hunter Regatta
Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta
Chattahoochee Chase Regatta
2003
John Hunter Regatta
Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta
Georgia Games Regatta
ICF Canoe/Kayak Sprint World Championships
2004
John Hunter Regatta
Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta
Georgia Games Regatta
2005
Lanier Sprints Regatta
Georgia Games Regatta
Head of Lanier Regatta
2006
Lanier Sprints Regatta
Georgia Games Regatta
Head of Lanier Regatta
2007
Lanier Sprints Regatta
Georgia Games Regatta
2008
Georgia Games Regatta
2009
SERCS
Clemson Sprints
John Hunter Regatta
Lanier Sprints Regatta
Lanier Summer Sprints
ACA Canoe/Kayak Sprint National Championships
2010
John Hunter Regatta
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships
2011
John Hunter Regatta
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships
ACA Canoe/Kayak Sprint National Championships
2012
John Hunter Regatta
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships
2013
John Hunter Regatta
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championship
2014
John Hunter Regatta
Canada Canoe/Kayak Team Trials
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships
2015
John Hunter Regatta
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships
ACA Canoe/Kayak Sprint National Championships
2016
John Hunter Regatta
Canada Canoe/Kayak Team Trials
US Canoe/Kayak Sprint Team Trial
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships
Canoe/Kayak Pan American Qualifier
2017
John Hunter Regatta
Southeast Junior National Championship
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships
2018
John Hunter Regatta
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships
Canada Canoe/Kayak Team Trials
ICF Dragon Boat World Championships
2019
John Hunter Regatta
American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships
ACA Canoe/Kayak Sprint National Championships