Our History

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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