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 International Canoe Federation (ICF) is the umbrella organization of all national canoe organizations worldwide. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and administers all aspects of canoe sport worldwide. 157 countries are affiliated with the ICF after seven national federations were added at the 2008 ICF Congress in Rome.
The ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships are an international event in canoeing, one of two Summer Olympic sport events organized by the International Canoe Federation. The World Championships have taken place every non-Olympic year since 1970 and officially included paracanoe events since 2010; since 2012, paracanoe-specific editions of this event have been held in Summer Paralympic years.
Marcus Becker is a German slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 1996 to 2011. He won a silver medal in the C2 event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Stefan Henze was a German slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 1996 to 2011.
Peter Hochschorner is a Slovak slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 1996. Competing together with his twin brother Pavol Hochschorner, they are the most successful C2 paddlers in the history of canoe slalom.
Alexander Grimm is a German slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2002.
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 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.
Lothar Schubert is a retired East German slalom canoeist who competed from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. He won three medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with a gold and two bronzes.
Siegfried Lück is a retired East German slalom canoeist who competed from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. He won three medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, with two golds and a bronze.
Thomas Loose is a West German-German slalom canoeist who competed from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. He won a gold medal for West Germany in the C2 event at the 1989 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Savage River, Maryland in the United States. He also won three bronze medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in the C2 team event.
Fabian Dörfler is a German slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 2001 to 2014.
Manfred Glöckner was a East German slalom canoeist who competed in the 1950s and the 1960s. He won four gold medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships.
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.
Maria Francis (Lund) is a British and Welsh slalom canoeist who competed in the 1980s and 1990s. She was women's K1 British Champion in 1989, silver medalist at the 1990 Europa Cup in Merano and went on to win a bronze medal in the K1 team event at the 1993 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Mezzana.
Jasmin Schornberg is a German slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2001.
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.
The ICF World Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships are an annual international canoeing and kayaking event organized by the International Canoe Federation (ICF). The Junior World Championships were first held in 1986 and then every two years until 2012. The Under-23 category has been added to the program in 2012. Since then the championships have been held annually. Athletes under the age of 18 are eligible for the junior category.
