How to qualify for canoe sprint at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained

Canoe sprint made its Olympic debut at Berlin 1936 with nine men’s events, while women first competed at the Games in a single event at London 1948.

Tokyo 2020 was the first Games where the same number of male and female athletes (123 each) competed in six events per gender. Paris 2024 will welcome 117 men and 117 women who will compete in five events per gender.

Learn more about the canoe sprint qualification process below.

READ MORE: The quest for Paris 2024 Olympic qualification begins

Number of athletes

A total of 236 athletes will compete at Paris 2024, a drop from 248 in Tokyo. This figure includes 115 quota places per gender, four host country quotas (two per gender) and two Universality places. 

• Kayak Double (K2): 22 athletes per gender
• Kayak Four (K4): 40 athletes per gender
• Canoe Single (C1): 14 athletes per gender
• Canoe Double (C2): 26 athletes per gender

There will be a maximum of 18 athletes per National Olympic Committee (NOC) - six per gender in kayak and three per gender in canoe. An NOC can enter a maximum of two boats per event at Paris 2024.

Minimum boat quota places – 126 (63 per gender)

• K1: 15 boats per gender
• K2: 11 boats per gender
• K4: 10 boats per gender
• C1: 14 boats per gender
• C2: 13 boats per gender

Qualification system

All eligible NOCs must participate in at least one Olympic event at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.

“Olympic Qualification Competition” shall refer to one of the following:

1. Global Qualification Competition: 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship

2. Continental Qualification Competitions (Europe, America, Asia, Africa, Oceania)

Global Qualification Competition: 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship

The initial distribution of the 162 athlete quota places (81 per gender) and the initial 74 boat quota places (37 per gender) will take place at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships. This figure for the athlete quotas includes four host country quotas (two for each gender).

- K1 events (for each gender): seven athlete quotas including one host country quota / seven boat quotas

The six highest-ranked unqualified NOCs from the 2023 World Championships in each of the men’s and women’s individual kayak events will each obtain one athlete quota place. The host country will secure one quota per gender.

- K2 events (for each gender): 12 athlete quotas / six boat quotas

The six highest-ranked unqualified NOCs from the championships in each of the men’s and women’s events will each obtain two athlete quota places.

• K4 events (for each gender): 40 athlete quotas / ten boat quotas

All the athlete quota places for the K4 events will be distributed at the 2023 World Championships.

The 10 highest-ranked NOCs from the event will each secure four athlete quotas.

If NOCs from fewer than four continents competed in the K4 finals at the 2023 World Championships, the highest-ranked NOC(s) not yet qualified will obtain the athlete quota places regardless of continent.

- C1 events (for each gender): six athlete quotas including one host country quota / six boat quotas

The five highest-ranked unqualified NOCs from the championships in each of the men’s and women’s individual canoe events will each obtain one athlete quota place. The host country will secure one quota per gender.

- C2 events (for each gender): 16 athlete quotas / eight boat quotas

The eight highest-ranked NOCs from the championships in each of the men’s and women’s events will each obtain two athlete quota places.

Reallocation of places released through “doubling up” in different events

On completion of the 2023 World Championships, all remaining athlete quota places which have been released as a result of athletes “doubling up”, that is they qualify for more than one athlete quota place in different boat classes, will be reallocated in the following manner:

Any quota places released in the K2 or C2 boats will be grouped together and will be reallocated to the highest-ranked NOCs not yet qualified in the relevant K2 or C2 event at the 2023 World Championships, to enable those NOCs to fill the K2 or C2 boats.

Continental Qualification Competitions

A total of 72 athlete quota places and 52 boat quota places will be distributed through continental qualification competitions.

• K1 events (for each gender): eight athlete quotas (Europe: two, Americas: two, Asia: two, Africa: one, Oceania: one) / eight boat quotas
• K2 events (for each gender): ten athlete quotas (Europe: two, Americas: two, Asia: two, Africa: two, Oceania: two) / five boat quotas
• C1 events (for each gender): eight athlete quotas (Europ: two, Americas: two, Asia: two, Africa: one, Oceania: one) / eight boat quotas
• C2 events (for each gender): ten athlete quotas (Europe: two, Americas: two, Asia: two, Africa: two, Oceania: two) / five boat quotas

Maximum quota places at Continental Qualification Competitions

An NOC can qualify for a maximum of two athlete quota places in each category, that is kayak per gender and canoe per gender, at the Continental Qualification Competitions. The unused athlete quota places will be allocated to the next highest-ranked NOC not yet qualified in the K1 or C1 event of that gender.

In the event that a Continental Qualification Competition cannot be held, the results of the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships for the relevant event will be used to determine the athlete quota places for that continent.

Host country places

The host country will be provisionally allocated a total of four quota places in the following events:

• Men’s kayak single (K1) 1000m - one quota
• Men’s canoe single (C1) 1000m - one quota
• Women’s kayak single (K1) 500m - one quota
• Women’s canoe single (C1) 200m - one quota

*For more information, check the Global Qualification Competition (2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship) above.

Universality Place

Two Universality places in single boats are made available to eligible NOCs at Paris 2024. These places can be awarded to athletes in canoe sprint and/or canoe slalom.

To be eligible for a Universality place the athlete must also have participated in at least one Olympic Qualification event for the Olympic Games.

Competition schedule

A total of ten medal sets (five per gender) will be awarded in canoe sprint at Paris 2024, two less than the 12 medal events (six per gender) at Tokyo 2020. Only three of the five men’s events remain from the 2020 Games.

Men

• Kayak Single (K1) 1000m
• Kayak Double (K2) 500m
• Kayak Four (K4) 500m
• Canoe Single (C1) 1000m
• Canoe Double (C2) 500m

Women

• Kayak Single (K1) 500m
• Kayak Double (K2) 500m
• Kayak Four (K4) 500m
• Canoe Single (C1) 200m
• Canoe Double (C2) 500m

*Events marked in bold are the ones that are the same as Tokyo 2020.

The canoe sprint competition will take place from 6 to 10 August at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, 39km away from the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

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Athletes to watch at Paris 2024

Germany and Hungary have historically dominated the Olympic canoe sprint medal table with 29 and 28 golds respectively.

However, at Tokyo 2020 New Zealand were a force to be reckoned with, with Lisa Carrington winning three gold medals in K1 200m, K1 500m and K-2 500m. The-33-year-old also took home bronze medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016, and is likely to be one of the favourites Paris 2024.

In the women’s canoe competition, Cuban rookie Yarisleidis Cirilo Duboys is currently leading the world ranking in both C1 200m and C2 500m. The-20-year-old, who also made her Olympic debut last year, has the chance to become the first female Cuban gold medallist in canoe sprint if she qualifies for the next edition of the Games in Paris.

On the men’s side, Australia's Thomas Green and Jean van der Westhuyzen claimed gold in Tokyo in the K2-1000, an event that has been removed from the programme for Paris 2024. However, the Aussie duo is also ranked no.1 in the K2 500m, and furthermore, Green is ranked no.2 in the world in K1 1000m, one below Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist and Portuguese star Fernando Pimenta who also claimed two titles at the 2018 and 2021 World Championships.

Germany will be aiming for a third consecutive gold medal in the men's K4 500m. Current world no. 1 Ukraine are well worth keeping an eye on, while Tokyo 2020 silver medallists Spain, led by Saúl Craviotto, will also attempt to claim victory in Paris after becoming the world champions in 2022.

In the women's K4 500m, reigning Olympics gold medallists Hungary had a slow start to the year, failing to make the podium at the 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Dartmouth Canada. Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Poland currently lead the world ranking after being crowned the 2022 world champions.

Canoe sprint qualification timeline to Paris 2024

• 23 – 27 August 2023: ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships 2023
• TBC: Oceania Olympic Qualification, African Olympic Qualification, American Olympic Qualification, Asian Olympic Qualification, European Olympic Qualification
• Within 10 working days after the event: ICF confirms in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained.
• 10 working days after the ICF notification of quota places: NOCs to confirm to the ICF the use of the allocated quota places
• Within 10 working days of NOC quota responses: ICF to reallocate all unused quota places.
• Within 10 working days the NOCs reply to reallocation: NOCs to confirm to the ICF the use of the reallocated quota places.
• TBC: The Tripartite Commission to confirm in writing the allocation of Universality places to the NOCs (where applicable).
• 30 June 2024: ICF to reallocate any unused quota places.
• 8 July 2024: Paris 2024 Sport Entries deadline
• 26 July – 11 August 2024: Olympic Games Paris 2024

Find out more about the qualification system for other sports that will feature at Paris 2024.