Canoe slalom is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible. It is one of the two kayak and canoeing disciplines at the Summer Olympics, and is referred to by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Canoe/Kayak Slalom. The other Olympic canoeing discipline is canoe sprint. Wildwater canoeing is a non-Olympic paddlesport.
The Augsburg Eiskanal is an artificial whitewater river in Augsburg, Germany, constructed as the canoe slalom venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics in nearby Munich.
At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, seven events in sprint canoe racing were contested, and for the first time at the Olympic Games, four events in slalom canoeing were also contested, at the Augsburg Eiskanal.
Alexander Grimm is a German slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2002.
The 1959 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held in Geneva, Switzerland under the auspices of International Canoe Federation for the second time. It was the 6th edition. The mixed C2 team event was not held at these championships after taking place in the previous one. The Swiss city hosted the championships previously in 1949.
The 1965 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held in Spittal an der Drau, Austria under the auspices of International Canoe Federation for the second time in a row after hosting the event previously in 1963. It was the 9th edition. It also marked some changes in which the folding kayak events were replaced by standard kayaks for the men's and women's events. Additionally, the mixed C2 team event returned for the first time since 1957.
The 1987 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held in Bourg St.-Maurice, France under the auspices of International Canoe Federation for the second time. It was the 20th edition. Bourg St.-Maurice hosted the event previously in 1969.
The 2002 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held in Bourg St.-Maurice, France under the auspices of International Canoe Federation for the record-tying third time. It was the 27th edition. Bourg St.-Maurice hosted the championships previously in 1969 and 1987, and matches the times hosted by Spittal, Austria and Meran, Italy. Beginning at these championships, this event would be held on an annual basis in non-Summer Olympic years. The 2001 championships were scheduled to take place in Ducktown, Tennessee in September that year on the canoe slalom course used for the 1996 Summer Olympics in neighboring Atlanta, but were cancelled in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The 2003 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held in Augsburg, Germany under the auspices of International Canoe Federation for the record-tying third time. It was the 28th edition. Augsburg hosted the championships previously in 1957 and 1985 when the city was part of West Germany, and matches the times hosted by Spittal, Austria, Meran, Italy, and Bourg St.-Maurice, France.
The 2010 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held 8–12 September 2010 at Tacen Whitewater Course, Slovenia under the auspices of International Canoe Federation for the record-tying third time. It was the 33rd edition. Tacen hosted the event previously in 1955 and 1991 when it was part of Yugoslavia, and joins the following cities that have hosted the event three times: Spittal, Austria ; Meran, Italy ; Bourg St.-Maurice, France ; and Augsburg, Germany. Women's single canoe (C1W) events became a medal event after being an exhibition in the previous championships.
Timothy Mark Baillie MBE is a Scottish slalom canoeist who represented Britain. From Westhill in Aberdeenshire, he started competing at the international level in 1996, initially in the K1 category, but switching to C2 in 2003. He retired from the sport in 2013. He is the Olympic Champion in the C2 event from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
For the 1972 Summer Olympics, a total of thirty-two sports venues were used. A majority of the venues used were new construction in time for the 1972 Games after Munich was awarded the Games in 1966. Kiel Bay was the only venue from the 1936 Summer Olympics to be used for the 1972 Games. A stretch of the Autobahn near Munich was used for cycling's road team time trial event. After the Olympics, Olympiastadion hosted the final of the FIFA World Cup less than two years later. Augsburg's Eiskanal has served as host to three Canoe Slalom World Championships while the shooting range hosted the World Shooting Championships 2010. Olympiapark was part of Munich's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The 2005 Canoe Slalom World Cup was a series of eight races in 4 canoeing and kayaking categories organized by the International Canoe Federation (ICF). It was the 18th edition. The series consisted of 4 continental championships, 3 world cup races and the world championships.
The 2004 Canoe Slalom World Cup was a series of six races in 4 canoeing and kayaking categories organized by the International Canoe Federation (ICF). It was the 17th edition. The series consisted of 5 regular world cup races and the world cup final.
The 2012 European Canoe Slalom Championships took place in Augsburg, Germany between May 9 and 13, 2012 under the auspices of the European Canoe Association (ECA). It was the 13th edition and Augsburg hosted this event for the second time after its inaugural edition in 1996. The races were held on the Eiskanal which also hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics when canoe slalom made its first appearance at the Olympics.
The Ondrej Cibak Whitewater Slalom Course, in Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia, is the world's second-oldest artificial whitewater venue for international canoe slalom competition, after the Augsburg Eiskanal. Built in 1978, it diverts water around a small dam on the Váh river. With recent upgrades, including a covered stadium for spectators, it remains a prime site for the sport.
The 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were the 39th edition of the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships. The event took place from 25 to 30 September 2018 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil under the auspices of International Canoe Federation (ICF). The competitions were held at the Deodoro Olympic Whitewater Stadium which had also hosted the canoe slalom events of the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Elena Lilik is a German slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2014. She is from Weimar, Germany but resides in Augsburg, home of the Augsburg Eiskanal.
Noah Hegge is a German slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2016. Hegge competes in the K1 class and in Extreme slalom. He lives and trains in Augsburg, home of the Eiskanal.
The 2022 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships took place from 26 to 31 July 2022 in Augsburg, Germany under the auspices of International Canoe Federation (ICF). It was the 42nd edition. The events took place at the Augsburg Eiskanal. Augsburg hosted the championships for the fourth time after previously hosting in 1957, 1985 and 2003.
David Hearn (USA)
Martyn Hedges (GBR)
West Germany 
Poland 
France 
Czechoslovakia 
Yugoslavia 