Canoe/Kayak Preview
In the Olympic Games, there are two disciplines of canoeing, and each includes events for canoes and kayaks.
The first is canoe sprint, which is sometimes referred to as flatwater sprint. The Olympic distances recognized by the International Canoe Federation are 200-meter, 500-meter, and 1000-meter. These races take place on straight courses with each boat paddling in its own designated lane.
The second discipline is canoe slalom (previously known as whitewater slalom), which is generally held on an artificial whitewater course. Athletes navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of 18-24 hanging downstream and upstream gates in the fastest time possible. Penalties are assessed for touching (2-seconds) or missing (50-seconds) a gate.
Canoeing has been part of the Olympic program since the 1936 Games in Berlin. Through the sport’s history in the Olympic Games, U.S. athletes have earned 16 medal-winning finishes — with Rebecca Giddens most recently reaching the podium for Team USA in canoe slalom with a silver in women’s single kayak (K-1) in 2004.
Updated on June 29, 2021. For more information, contact the sport press officer here.