Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other activities such as canoe camping, or where canoeing is merely a transportation method used to accomplish other activities. Most present-day canoeing is done as or as a part of a sport or recreational activity. In some parts of Europe canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an Open canoe.
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.
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.
Oliver Fix is a German slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 1990 to 1996. He won a gold medal in the K1 event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Stefan Henze was a German slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 1996 to 2011.
Alexander Grimm is a German slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2002.
The ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships are an international event in canoeing organized by the International Canoe Federation. The World Championships have taken place every year in non-Summer Olympic years since 2002. From 1949 to 1999, they had taken place in odd-numbered years. The 2001 championships were scheduled to take place in Ducktown, Tennessee from 20 to 23 September, but were canceled in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The 2009 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held on 9–13 September 2009 at Parc Olímpic del Segre in La Seu d'Urgell, Spain under the auspices of International Canoe Federation. It was the 32nd edition. La Seu d'Urgell hosted the event previously in 1999. A demonstration event for women's single canoe (C1W) took place that was swept by Australia. Slovakia was the top medal winner with six, including three golds. Germany and Great Britain each won four medals with a gold medal each. Host nation Spain won their first medals ever at the championships with four.
Fabian Dörfler is a German slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 2001 to 2014.
Karin Tietze is a retired East German slalom canoeist who competed in the mid-1950s. She won two medals at the 1955 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Tacen with a gold in the folding K-1 team event and a silver in the folding K-1 event.
The canoeing races at the 2012 Olympic Games in London were contested in two main disciplines: the slalom, from 29 July to 2 August, and the sprint, from 6 to 11 August. The slalom competition was held at the Lee Valley White Water Centre and the sprint events were staged at Eton College Rowing Centre, at Dorney Lake, known as Eton Dorney.
Hannes Aigner is a German slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2006. He won a bronze medal in the K1 event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Sebastian Schubert is a German slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2004.
Lutz Körner is a former East German slalom canoeist who competed in the 1970s. He won a gold medal in the K-1 team event at the 1977 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Spittal.
Heinz-Jürgen Steinschulte is a former West German slalom canoeist who competed from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s.
Wolfgang Büchner is a former East German slalom canoeist who competed in the 1970s. He won a gold medal in the K-1 team event at the 1973 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Muotathal.
Wolfgang Wenzel is a former West German slalom canoeist who competed from the late 1960s to the early 1970s.
The canoeing races at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro were contested in two main disciplines: the slalom, from 7 to 11 August, and the sprint, from 15 to 20 August. The slalom canoe competition was held at the Olympic Whitewater Stadium; whereas the sprint events was staged at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in Copacabana. The location for canoeing events was a source of concern for athletes since the Brazilian federal government's Oswaldo Cruz Foundation lab has found the genes of drug-resistant super bacteria in Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon.
Horst Rosenhagen is a former East German slalom canoeist who competed in the 1960s. He won a gold medal in the C-2 team event at the 1961 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Hainsberg.
Alois Würfmannsdobler is a former West German slalom canoeist who competed in the 1950s. He won a gold medal in the folding K-1 team event at the 1955 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Tacen.
