Greece reopens the Schinias Olympic Rowing Centre after years of neglect
Greece has once again brought the Schinias Olympic Rowing Centre, one of the recognizable sports venues from the time of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, back into full operation. The facility northeast of Athens, in the Marathon area and within Schinias-Marathon National Park, was ceremonially opened after extensive restoration carried out by the Hellenic Olympic Committee with financial support from Alpha Bank. According to the announcement by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the centre is returning to athletes, national teams and competitions after a period in which it was far from the role for which it was built.
The restoration of Schinias has broader significance than the mere return of one sports facility to use. It is an attempt to turn part of the Olympic legacy of Athens 2004 into functional infrastructure, instead of leaving it as a symbol of costly construction and subsequent decay. According to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, the facility had been largely neglected for years, and the works included cleaning, technical maintenance and the rehabilitation of key parts of the complex. The ceremony was held in mid-May 2026, and the centre was handed over to the sporting community as a renewed base for rowing, canoeing and kayaking.
An Olympic legacy that waited for years for a new role
The Schinias Rowing Centre was built for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, when rowing competitions and canoe and kayak sprint events were held there. According to data from the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the construction of the centre cost 88 million euros, placing it among the more significant infrastructure projects of that Olympic cycle. The facility was conceived as a permanent sports base, but after the Games it faced a problem that affected a number of Olympic venues: high maintenance costs, an unclear management model and insufficiently systematic use.
According to the tourism website of the Attica region, the complex is part of Schinias-Marathon National Park and covers an area of 1.24 square kilometres. The same source states that the rowing course is among the few facilities approved by the International Rowing Federation as a training centre. This fact further emphasizes the importance of the restoration, because it is not only a local sports space, but a venue that can have an international function and attract training camps, domestic competitions and larger sporting events.
Schinias is also an environmentally sensitive area. In its statement, Alpha Bank emphasizes that the restoration is also viewed through an environmental and social dimension, with the aim of ensuring that the facility operates in line with contemporary sustainable development practices. This is important because the centre is located in a national park, and any reactivation of infrastructure must align sporting needs with ecosystem preservation. That is precisely why official announcements stress that the centre’s new life does not mean only the restoration of sports facilities, but also an attempt to make the space functional, orderly and available for long-term use.
What was restored at Schinias
According to the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the restoration included the cleaning and rehabilitation of the regatta course, the replacement and maintenance of floating access and mooring pontoons for boats, façade repairs and the restoration of waterproofing on four buildings in the complex. Among these buildings are areas for the accommodation and preparation of athletes, which is crucial for the daily work of national teams and clubs. As part of the works, the main spectator stand was also upgraded, preparing the centre once again not only for training sessions but also for competitive events.
Kathimerini previously reported that the restored 2.2-kilometre-long water course had already returned to use by the national team. According to the same source, workers removed reeds, dense vegetation and waste, repaired docks and stands, restored the hydraulic system and, with the help of divers, repaired underwater damage. Special attention was devoted to the channels that connect the lake with the rowing course and the outlet toward the sea, because these sections are important for the functionality of the entire water system.
Kathimerini’s report also states that technical consultant Elina Dretta described the condition of the facility as the result of an almost complete lack of maintenance after 2004. According to that report, the floating pontoons were worn out, the buildings were leaking, and the water channels were clogged. Such a condition shows how technically demanding the restoration was, because it was not enough to tidy up only the visible parts of the complex; the infrastructure without which the rowing course cannot operate at full capacity also had to be restored.
Financing and project management
The restoration project was initiated and supervised by the Hellenic Olympic Committee. According to Kathimerini, the works were carried out after an agreement with the Greek public company responsible for managing state property, while project supervision was linked to the public company Anaplasi SA. Financial support came from Alpha Bank, which, according to its own statement, invested one million euros in the restoration as part of a strategic partnership with the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the Hellenic Rowing Federation.
At the ceremony, the president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Isidoros Kouvelos, said that the restoration restores continuity to the Olympic legacy, the committee states in its official announcement. He emphasized that the Olympic heritage is not only a matter of photographs and memories, but a responsibility toward facilities that were built with money, work and national effort. Such a message reflects the broader debate in Greece about the fate of Olympic venues after Athens 2004, but also the effort to turn at least some of them into useful sports infrastructure.
Alpha Bank CEO Vassilios Psaltis, according to the bank’s statement, said that the goal was to provide athletes with appropriate conditions for training and preparation. The bank presented the restoration as part of broader support for Greek sport ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The statement also says that the centre has already hosted the Greek national rowing championship, which is highlighted as confirmation that the facility is ready for operational use.
Athletes once again get a functional base
For Greek rowers, canoeists and kayakers, the restoration of Schinias means a return to a space originally built for the highest level of competition. According to the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the ceremonies were attended by Olympic medal winners, world champions and representatives of rowing and kayaking organizations. Among the participants in the symbolic race were, among others, Stefanos Ntouskos, Petros Gkaidatzis, Zoi Fitsiou, Milena Kontou and Evangelia Anastasiadou, which also gave the restoration a strong sporting message.
Deputy Minister of Sports Yiannis Vroutsis, according to Kathimerini’s report, said that it was a great day for the rowing course and for a facility connected with Greece’s tradition in rowing, canoeing and kayaking. Such a statement points to the expectation that Schinias will once again become a place for the development of elite athletes, as well as domestic competitions. In practice, a high-quality national base can reduce the need for training abroad and enable continuity of training on a course that meets international standards.
According to the announcement by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, international sports officials Annamarie Phelps, vice-president of World Rowing, and Asunción Loriente, president of European Rowing, also took part in the ceremony. Phelps, according to the same source, announced the organization of major international events at the restored centre. Such announcements are not only of sporting importance, but also organizational importance: international competitions can help keep the facility active, attract professional staff and justify investments through a regular calendar of events.
The challenge of sustainable use of Olympic facilities
The return of Schinias to operation once again raises the question of the long-term management of Olympic infrastructure. Athens 2004 left Greece with a series of facilities that, after the Games, required expensive maintenance and a clear purpose. In the case of the rowing centre, the problem was further complicated by its location in an environmentally sensitive area and the need for the water system, buildings and accompanying infrastructure to be maintained regularly. According to information from Kathimerini, the project was carried out in cooperation with the competent state environmental authority, which shows that the sporting function had to be aligned with spatial protection rules.
Regular use will be crucial to the success of the restoration. If the centre serves only occasional ceremonies, the risk of renewed decay will remain high. If, however, it becomes a permanent base for national teams, clubs, national championships, international training camps and larger competitions, Schinias could become an example of how Olympic heritage can be brought back to life. According to the official messages of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and Alpha Bank, that is precisely the aim of the project: to preserve sporting heritage and at the same time open the space to future generations of athletes.
The restoration is also important for the local area of Marathon and the wider Attica region. The tourism website of the Attica region states that the centre is also used for short-term events, mostly of a sporting nature, and that the body responsible for managing Schinias-Marathon National Park is located within the complex. Such a combination of sport, recreation and management of a protected area can be an advantage if it is developed carefully and with clear rules. Otherwise, increased traffic and a larger number of events could raise new questions about environmental pressure.
Schinias as a test for a new sports policy
The case of Schinias shows that the restoration of an Olympic venue is not just a construction job. It includes ownership relations, financing, the responsibility of sports federations, cooperation with public institutions and a maintenance plan after the completion of works. According to available information, it was precisely the combination of public management, an Olympic institution and private financing that made it possible to bring the project to completion. Such a model could also serve other sports facilities, but only if a permanent purpose is secured after restoration.
For Greek sport, Schinias is now once again a visible symbol from the Olympic year of 2004. For rowing, canoeing and kayaking, it is an infrastructure gain that can have a direct impact on preparations for the next Olympic cycles. For the public, it is a reminder that Olympic facilities do not have to remain neglected monuments to past events if a management model, financial support and a clear sporting purpose are found for them. The next test will not be only the ceremonial opening, but the ability to keep the centre alive, maintained and truly used.
Sources:
- Hellenic Olympic Committee – official announcement on the completion of the restoration and ceremonial opening of the Schinias Olympic Rowing Centre (link)
- Alpha Bank – statement on the financing of the restoration of the Schinias Olympic Rowing Centre and the project’s objectives (link)
- Kathimerini – report on the reopening of the rowing centre after restoration (link)
- Kathimerini – earlier report on the progress of the restoration, the condition of the facility and technical works (link)
- Athens Attica – basic information on the location, area and function of the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre (link)