Long Beach Grand Prix
The Long Beach Grand Prix in April is the single largest event in Long Beach. It started in 1975 as a Formula 5000 race on the streets of downtown, and became a Formula One race, the United States Grand Prix West, the following year. Since 1984 it has been a Champ Car event. During the same week as the Grand Prix, there are also Trans-Am, and Toyota Atlantic races, plus an Historic Grand Prix features pre-1990 cars, and the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race.
Baseball
Long Beach Little League teams that included Sean Burroughs were back-to-back World Series Champions in 1992 & 1993. Other noted Long Beach ballplayers include Tony Gwynn and Bob Lemon.
The Long Beach Armada of the independent Golden Baseball League plays at Blair Field. Ex-Major Leaguer Darrell Evans manages the team that features former major league players as well as rookies looking to reach the Majors for the first time.
Blair Field (built in 1958) has hosting numerous American Legion baseball, Connie Mack baseball, high school, junior college, college, minor league baseball and major league spring training exhibition baseball games. It has also been host of six MTV Rock & Jock softball games, and has been the filming location for numerous film, TV and commercial productions.
Ice Hockey
Long Beach is home to the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL) hockey team. The Ice Dogs play their home games at the Long Beach Sports Arena.
Basketball
The minor league American Basketball Association team, the Long Beach Jam, played in the Walter Pyramid (a pyramid-shaped gym) on the Long Beach State campus) from 2003 to 2005.
The Southern California Summer Pro League is a showcase for current and prospective NBA basketball players, including recent draft picks, current NBA players working on their skills and conditioning, and international professionals hoping to become NBA players. The league plays in the Pyramid on the Long Beach State campus during July.
Sailing
Since its inception in August 1964, the Congressional Cup has grown into one of the major international sailing events. Now held in April, it is the only grade 1 match race regatta held in the United States. The one-on-one race format is the same as the America's Cup, and many of the winners of the Congressional Cup have gone on to win the America's Cup as well.
The Leeway Sailing and Aquatics Center on Alamitos Bay in Belmont Shore is a youth sailing program founded in 1929. It is recognized as one of the premier municipal instructional sailing programs in the country.
Water Skiing
In July, there is the annual Catalina Ski Race, which starts from Long Beach Harbor and goes to Catalina Island and back to complete a 100 km (62 mile) circuit. This race has been held annually since 1948 and features skiers from around the world.
Windsurfing and Kitesurfing
On windy summer weekends, hundreds of windsurfers and kitesurfers flock to Belmont Shores for the summer thermal winds that often occur there.
Golf
Long Beach has five municipal golf courses, as well as the private Virginia Country Club in the Bixby Knolls area. Recreation Park, built in 1917, is one of the busiest golf courses in the United States.
Rugby Union
The Belmont Shore rugby team plays in the US Rugby Super League. They've been in seven league finals, and have been champions three times.
College Sports
Long Beach State's team mascot are the 49ers. The school has had national championships in Women's Volleyball (5), Men's Volleyball (1), Track and Field (1), Men's Tennis (1-Division II), Swimming (1-Division II), Women's Badminton (2), and Women's Field Hockey (1). The school also has had regularly NCAA tournament appearances in Men's Baseball, Men's Softball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Men's Golf, Women's Tennis, Men's Water Polo, and Women's Water Polo. Their Cheer Team has also been national champions in 2003 and 2004.
The sports teams at Long Beach City College have also done well, including national championships in Men's Gymnastics (6), Football (5), Women's Soccer (3), and Men's Doubles and Singles Tennis (1 each). They have also had state championships in numerous sports, including 2006-7 championships in Men's and Women's Water Polo.
 Olympics
During the two Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, Long Beach has hosted a number of the competitions, including rowing events in the Marine Stadium, sailing events off the coast of Long Beach, volleyball in the Long Beach Sports Arena, and archery at El Dorado Regional Park.
For the 1984 Summer Olympics, Long Beach hosted yachting, volleyball, fencing and archery competitions. For the 1932 Summer Olympics, Long Beach hosted the rowing competition.
The Belmont Plaza Pool has hosted U.S. Olympic swimming trials in 1968 and 1976. For the 2004 U.S. Olympic swimming trials, a temporary swimming stadium was constructed in the parking lot adjacent to the Long Beach Sports Arena.
The USA Water Polo National Aquatic Center, where the men's and women's US Olympic water polo teams train, is located in nearby Los Alamitos.
Famous Long Beach Athletes
Long Beach is the childhood home of tennis legend Billie Jean King and eight-time National League batting champion and longtime San Diego Padres outfielder Tony Gwynn. Both attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School.
2004 Summer Olympics gold medal winning beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor graduated from California State University, Long Beach (where she won a national championship and several other awards), and currently resides in Long Beach.
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