By Cris Miller, columnist
As of June 2025, San Pedro has been named a co-host alongside Long Beach for the sailing events of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Of the 10 events, Long Beach will host men’s and women’s windsurfing and kiteboarding in Alamitos Bay, while San Pedro’s Port of Los Angeles will host men’s and women’s dinghy and skiff, mixed dinghy and mixed multihull events in Hurricane Gulch and nearby waters.
This is not the first time the area has hosted Olympic sailing. The Port of LA was the first Southern California location to do so in the 1932 games, with races viewable from Point Fermin Park. That year featured four sailing classes: snowbird, star, 6 meter, and 8 meter. The U.S. took gold in the star and 8-meter, and silver in the 6-meter. Half a century later, Long Beach hosted the 1984 Olympic sailing events. The U.S. earned gold in fleet match keelboat, flying Dutchman mixed, and two-person keelboat, along with silver in two- and one-person dinghy men, mixed multihull, and men’s windsurfer — placing in every event.
San Pedro also hosted SailGP events in 2023 and 2025, reinforcing its status as a major sailing hub.
Olympic Qualification Process
To qualify for the Olympics, countries must secure berths through events like the World Sailing Championships, Continental Championships, or a Last Chance Regatta. Once a country earns the required number of berths, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) grants it official entry. The host nation automatically receives entries in all 10 events, giving the U.S. a home-field advantage.
Once a country qualifies, its National Olympic Committee (NOC) — in the U.S., this is U.S. Sailing — selects individual athletes based on performance, physical fitness, technical skill, and adaptability.
Although the U.S. qualifies automatically, the selection process remains competitive. The U.S. regularly meets qualification standards through global racing, and automatic entry allows earlier focus on athlete selection and preparation.
U.S. Team Selection: Tiered Criteria
U.S. Sailing’s athlete selection is structured in two tiers:
Tier 1 includes athletes who competed in the 2024 Olympic Games and finished in the top 10 overall. These sailors may maintain Tier 1 status through the next two scheduled World Championships if their class and equipment remain in the 2028 games.
Tier 2 is for those who did not compete in 2024. These athletes must finish in the top 20 (and within the top 50% of the fleet) at one of the two most recent Class World Championships, with events and equipment relevant to the 2028 games.
All tier athletes must submit a performance plan for approval by the U.S. Sailing Team high performance director and head of operations. Tier 1 athletes receive $30,000 annually in direct funding; Tier 2 athletes receive $15,000.
Athletes can move between tiers based on performance. Funding adjusts accordingly and is prorated from the first of the month following a qualifying event. Athletes who fail to qualify for Tier 1 or 2 across two consecutive World Championships are removed from the team.
Changes and Special Circumstances
If an athlete’s schedule conflicts with a qualifying event, they may retain their tier status pending review. Status extensions may also be granted in cases of injury, illness, or pregnancy.
Athletes changing teammates or boat classes must submit a new performance plan for approval. This provisional tier status remains valid until the next qualifying event.
Elite Athlete Health Insurance (EAHI) is available to all athletes who meet qualification standards, regardless of tier status.
Athletes must also sign the 2024 U.S. Sailing Athlete Participation Agreement and Team Agreement and comply with all related obligations. The performance plan and agreements must be submitted to Olympic@ussailing.org.