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.
Michal Martikán is a Slovak slalom canoeist who has been competing at the international level since 1994. In 1996 he became the first athlete to win an Olympic gold medal for Slovakia since the country gained independence in 1993. In total he won 5 Olympic medals, which is the most among all slalom paddlers. He has also won the World Championship title in the C1 individual category four times.
Lee Valley White Water Centre is a white-water slalom centre in the Middle Lea Valley, in the Borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. It was constructed to host the canoe slalom events of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Penrith Whitewater Stadium is located near Sydney, Australia. It is an artificial whitewater sporting facility which hosted the canoe/kayak slalom events at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The facility is part of the Penrith Lakes Scheme, which is converting open-pit sand and gravel mines into lakes for recreation. It is close to Cranebrook and is adjacent to the Sydney International Regatta Centre. These lakes are not filled via the Nepean River, but are filled via rain water and ground water. The operation of the facility aerates the water and improves water quality in the flat water rowing and canoeing course.
These are the results of the men's K-1 slalom competition in canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics. The K-1 event is raced by one-man kayaks through a whitewater course. The venue for the 2004 Olympic competition was the Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre at the Helliniko Olympic Complex.
These are the results of the women's K-1 slalom competition in canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics. The K-1 event is raced by one-man kayaks through a whitewater course. The venue for the 2004 Olympic competition was the Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre at the Helliniko Olympic Complex.
These are the results of the men's C-1 slalom competition in canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics. The C-1 event is raced by one-man canoes through a whitewater course. The venue for the 2004 Olympic competition was the Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre at the Helliniko Olympic Complex.
The men's C-1 slalom competition in canoeing at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place between August 11 and 12 2008 at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing. The C-1 event was raced by one-man canoes through a whitewater course.
The women's K-1 slalom competition in canoeing at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 13 and August 15, 2008 at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing. The K-1 event is raced by one-person kayaks through a whitewater course. The final was rescheduled to the 15th due to persistent lightning at the Park.
The men's C-2 slalom competition in canoeing at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place between August 13 and 15, 2008 at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing. The C-2 event is raced by two-man canoes through a whitewater course. The finals were rescheduled from the 14th to the 15th due to persistent lightning at the Park.
These are the results of the men's C-2 slalom competition in canoeing at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The C-2 event is raced by two-man canoes through a whitewater course. The venue for the 1972 Olympic competition was in Augsburg.
These are the results of the men's C-1 slalom competition in canoeing at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The C-1 event is raced by one-man canoes through a whitewater course. The venue for the 1992 Olympic competition was in La Seu d'Urgell.
These are the results of the men's C-2 slalom competition in canoeing at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The C-2 event is raced by two-man canoes through a whitewater course. The venue for the 1992 Olympic competition was in La Seu d'Urgell.
The Tacen Whitewater Course is a venue for canoe and kayak slalom competition in Tacen, Slovenia, a suburb of Ljubljana. Located on the Sava River, eight kilometers northwest of the city center, it is known locally as Kayak Canoe Club Tacen. The course played an important role in development of the sport during the past six decades. In 1939, when its first competition was held, it was a natural rapid at the base of a dam in the Sava River. In 1990, after many upgrades, it was given a concrete channel and the features of a modern Olympic-style slalom course. The course now starts in the lake behind the dam, and the spillway is the first drop. Tacen hosts a major international competition almost every year, examples being the 1955, the 1991, and the 2010 Championships.
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.
The Hellinikon Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre is located in the Hellinicon Olympic Complex in Athens, Greece. The venue hosted the canoe slalom events for the 2004 Summer Olympics.
The ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup is an annual season-long series of top level races in canoe slalom held under the auspices of the International Canoe Federation. It has been held since 1988 in four canoe and kayak disciplines for men and women. The four original disciplines were men's single canoe (C1), men's double canoe (C2), men's kayak (K1) and women's kayak. A women's single canoe discipline (C1) has been added to the world cup in 2010. The men's C2 event was removed from the world cup series in 2018 and it was replaced by the mixed C2 event. The mixed C2 event only lasted for one season, however. 2018 was also the first time that world cup points were awarded for the kayak cross.
Canoeing at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo was contested in two main disciplines: canoe slalom, to take place from 25 to 30 July 2021, and canoe sprint, from 2 to 7 August. The slalom competitions will be held at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Course; whereas the sprint events will be staged at Sea Forest Waterway.
The Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre is a whitewater paddling venue, constructed to host the canoeing slalom events for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. It is first artificial slalom course in Japan. The total construction cost of this venue was around 7 billion yen and it has the capacity 7,500 spectators.
