Park selected for Olympic rowing trials

In front of a backdrop of the nation's best youth rowers plowing through the waters at Nathan Benderson Park, USRowing and Sarasota and Manatee County officials today announced the park will be home to the 2016 Olympic rowing trials.

USRowing CEO Glenn Merry said the Youth Rowing Nationals, held at the park June 12 to June 14, served as a "unique marker" going forward at the park, before announcing it will be the first new venue in 20 years to host the event. Trials historically have been held at the organization's home base in Princeton, N.J.

"No other U.S. venues were constructed specifically for international competition," Merry said, calling the facility a "unique opportunity for Florida and the United States."

For a complete story, see the June 18 issue of the East County Observer.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].