For centuries, canoes were used as a means of transport (as well as a useful tool for hunting and fishing) in North America, Siberia, and Greenland. The sport of canoe slalom was modelled from ski slalom and began in Switzerland in 1932. The first contests were performed on flat water, but were later switched to whitewater rapids.
Brief overview of the rules
Both canoe and kayak races feature on the Olympic Games programme, each with its own specific rules. Canoeists kneel in the boat and use a single-blade paddle on one side at a time, whereas kayakers are seated and use a double-bladed paddle.
Slalom races take place on an artificial white-water course. Competitors have to navigate boats through a course of gates (18 to 25) in the fastest time possible, taking care not to incur penalties for missing or touching gates. These races put athletes’ concentration, reactions and technique to the test.
Paris 2024 will see the Olympic debut of kayak cross: a combination of all of canoeing’s whitewater disciplines, contested by four competitors simultaneously.
Olympic history
Canoe slalom made its debut at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and became a permanent Olympic fixture at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Athletes from European nations have achieved enormous success in the sport at the Games, winning roughly 90 per cent of all canoe slalom medals.
