How to qualify for canoe slalom at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained
Compared to Tokyo 2020, two more events have been added to the Paris 2024 programme with extreme kayak making its debut at the Olympics. Find out below everything you need to know about the number of athletes, stars to watch and the pathway to the next Olympic Games.
Paris 2024 will be the ninth time canoe slalom has been part of the Olympic programme, after the sport made its full Olympic debut at Barcelona 1992.
Both canoe (C1) and kayak (K1) variants are on show at Paris 2024. Canoe uses only one blade while two are used on the kayak. The other main way in which the sports differ is that in canoe the competitor is strapped to the boat with their legs bent at the knees, while in kayak they are in a seated position.
At Paris 2024, extreme kayak (women’s WX1 and men’s MX1) will debut at the Olympics, increasing the overall number of events by two. However, the number of athletes participating at the Games will not change.
The Paris 2024 canoe slalom competition will take place on the waters of the Vaires-Sur-Marne nautical stadium, outside of Paris. The qualification system is similar to that for Tokyo 2020, and France, as host country, will be entitled to one quota per gender in kayak.
Learn more about the canoe slalom qualification system for Paris 2024.
Number of athletes
Similar to the Tokyo 2020 Games, there will be a total of 82 athletes competing in canoe slalom at Paris 2024, 41 women and 41 men, distributed across six events (three per gender):
Women
- Kayak (WK1): 21 athletes
- Canoe (WC1): 17 athletes
- Extreme Kayak (WX1): three athletes
Men
- Kayak (MK1): 21 athletes
- Canoe (MC1): 17 athletes
- Extreme Kayak (MX1): three athletes
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) may have a maximum of six athletes classified for the canoe slalom in Paris, three women and three men, one for each event.
Qualification system
For both kayak and canoe, quota places for Paris 2024 will be distributed through the world global qualification, continental competitions and host country quota places.
Kayak
- World global qualification: 15 quota places
- Continental competitions: 5 quota places
- Host Country: one quota place
Canoe
- World global qualification: 12 quota places
- Continental competitions: five quota places
Extreme kayak
- World global qualification: three quota places
In canoe slalom, quota places will be distributed first to the canoe events, that is, an athlete already qualified for this event cannot be considered for a place in the kayak event, which will be made available to the next best-ranked NOC.
In a tie between athletes in the qualifying competitions for Paris 2024, previous results will be considered, taking into account the ICF (International Canoe Federation) regulations. The NOC of the best-ranked athlete will be named for the quota place.
Format and schedule
The 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships is the global world qualification competition for the canoe slalom events of the upcoming Games.
The best athletes placed in each event of this tournament win the quota places for their respective National Olympic Committees, who will later confirm the use of these quota places and the athletes who will occupy them.
Continental competitions will also provide the opportunity to win one quota place per gender for an NOC. They are:
- African championships
- Asian championships
- European championships
- Oceania's championships
- Pan-American championships
In the case the above-mentioned events (world and continental) cannot be held, or their results are cancelled, the ICF ranking of December 31 2023 will be taken into account.
For extreme kayak, which makes its debut in Paris, the ICF will organise a world championship that will act as a qualifier for the Games in 2024. Only athletes not classified in other canoe slalom events (canoe and kayak) are eligible to participate in the extreme kayak qualifying competition. The NOCs can enter up to three names in this qualifier, with the three best-placed committees in the competition securing a quota place at the Games.
Universality places
Two quota places based on the principle of Universality will be available to the National Olympic Committees in Paris 2024. They will be awarded to athletes in canoe flatwater and/or canoe slalom.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will invite all National Olympic Committees to submit their requests to use the Universality places.
A Tripartite Commission will inform, in writing, of the reallocation of these quota places to the respective National Olympic Committees, at the end of the classification period for the sport concerned.
Athletes to watch
In canoe slalom, European athletes have traditionally dominated. However, in the last editions of the Games, athletes from other nations have come to the fore, including Australia’s Jessica Fox, the current world no. 1, who won medals at the last three editions of the Games. She won a silver and two bronzes in kayak between London 2012 and Tokyo 2020, and gold in the canoe competition at Tokyo 2020.
Spain’s Maialen Chourraut may also participate in her fifth Olympics at Paris 2024, after she won bronze at London 2012, gold at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020 - the last of these aged 38.
In the men’s competition, athletes from Czech Republic or Slovakia have made it onto the podium at every edition since canoe slalom became a permanent fixture on the Olympic programme, starting with Barcelona 1992 where they won gold under the flag of the then Czechoslovakia.
Czech Republic’s Jiri Prskavec currently leads the ranking in kayak and has two Olympic medals to his name: bronze at Rio 2016 and gold at the last Games in Japan. Benjamin Savsek from Slovenia topped the canoe podium at Tokyo 2020 and is currently seventh in the ICF ranking, which is led by Slovakian legend Alexander Slafkovsky who is still in pursuit of his first Olympic medal.
Canoe slalom qualification timeline for Paris 2024
- September 19-23, 2023: ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships.
- Date to be confirmed (TBC): ICF Extreme Kayak global qualification competition.
- Date TBC: Continental qualification competitions (African, Asian, European, Pan-american and Oceania).
- Within 10 working days after the event: The International Canoeing Federation (ICF) informs the National Olympic Committees/National Federations of the quota places no later than two weeks after each Continental qualification competition.
- Within 10 working days after ICF notification of quota places: The NOCs to confirm to the ICF the use of the allocated quota places.
- Within 10 working days after the previous step: ICF to reallocate all unused quota places.
- Date TBC: The Tripartite Commission to confirm in writing the allocation of Universality places to the NOCs (where applicable).
- 15 June 2024: ICF to reallocate any unused quota places.
- 8 July 2024: Paris 2024 Sport Entries deadline.
- 26 July - 11 August: Olympic Games Paris 2024.
- 27 July - 5 August: Canoe slalom Olympic tournament.
Find out more about the qualification system for other sports that will feature at Paris 2024.