On March 19-20, more than 1,200 athletes and 1,500 spectators will visit Lake Lanier Olympic Park for the 30th Annual John Hunter Regatta. This US Rowing sanctioned competition will host over 40 college crews and youth teams from throughout the United States.
Rowers will paddle it out on the 2000-meter, 6-lane buoyed course for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place medals. Due to increased participation in the Regatta, the competition will span over two-days instead of one, with college races on Saturday and youth races Sunday. The trials begin at 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday and the event is open to the public.
The estimated economic impact of the John Hunter Regatta is $1.7 million dollars.
Georgia teams participating in John Hunter Regatta:
Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, Emory, Georgia State, Savannah College of Art and Design, Berry College, Saint Andrew, Atlanta Junior Rowing, Westminster, Augusta Junior Rowing, and Riverside Military Academy.
Why Lake Lanier is “Back on the Map” for Prestigious Events
The Gainesville Hall ‘96 Roundtable hired Morgan House as the Lake Lanier Olympic Park Manager in 2014. Before, the park relied only on volunteers. With the addition of an on-site manager, Lake Lanier has kept its grounds pristine and has completed more than 1 million dollars in renovations—attracting more prestigious events to the Georgia venue.
Since 2014, Lake Lanier has hosted the National Canoe/Kayak/Rowing Championships, the National Rowing Championships and, this year, the John Hunter Regatta and the Pan American Championships.
The Pan Am is being held May 19-22nd and is the final continental Olympic qualifier for sprint canoe and kayak. Winners from the Pan Am will compete in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fairness of Olympic course:
Lake Lanier has a 3,000-meter naturally-flowing straightaway, making it the ideal destination for the John Hunter Regatta, Pan American Championships and other world-class competitions. House says Lake Lanier was selected for the Pan Am over other esteemed locations, because regardless of the wind direction, each athlete has the same advantage or disadvantage. Whereas, in most other venues around the world, their race-courses can be extremely unfair due to wind shadows created by walls or banks.
Available Visuals and Interviews:
Visuals:
Your crew will be able to capture the dozens of races at the John Hunter Regatta, as well as current renovation projects underway at Lake Lanier Olympic Park, if you wish.
Interviews:
Morgan House, Lake Lanier Olympic Park Manager. House can give you a rundown of where Lake Lanier Olympic Park has been, where it is now, and where he expects it to be in the future. House is also an experienced kayaker himself.
We can also set you up with hosts of athletes, spectators and organizers at the John Hunter Regatta.