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.
Štěpánka Hilgertová is a former Czechoslovak-Czech slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 1988 to 2017. Competing in six Summer Olympics, she won two gold medals in the K1 event, earning them in 1996 and 2000.
Philippe Quémerais is a French slalom canoeist who competed in the 1990s and 2000s.
Fabien Lefèvre is a French slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 1998]. As a permanent resident of the United States, he has competed for his country of residence since 2013. He represented France until 2011. He won two medals at the Summer Olympics in the K1 event with a silver in 2008 and a bronze in 2004. He has a son called Noe Lefèvre.
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.
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.
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.
Denis Gargaud Chanut is a French slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level in C1 since 2004. Between 2009 and 2011 he also competed in the C2 category alongside Fabien Lefèvre. He won a gold medal in the C1 event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
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 Canoe Slalom World Cup is an annual series of 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. 2018 was also the first time that world cup points were awarded for the extreme K1 event.
The European Canoe Slalom Championships is an annual international canoeing and kayaking event organized by the European Canoe Association (ECA) since 1996. Until 2004 it was held every two years.
Giovanni De Gennaro is an Italian slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2008.
Ladislav Benhák is a former Czechoslovak slalom canoeist who competed from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. He won two medals in the C-2 team event at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with a gold in 1977 and a silver in 1975.
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.
Milan Řehoř is a former Czechoslovak slalom canoeist who competed in the 1950s. He won two gold medals in the C-2 team event at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, earning them in 1955 and 1957.
The canoeing races at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will be contested in two main disciplines: the slalom, from 26 to 31 July, and the sprint, from 3 to 8 August. The slalom canoe competition will be held at the Canoe Slalom Course; whereas the sprint events will be staged at Sea Forest Waterway.
Yves Prigent is a French slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2011.
