Canoeing and Kayaking

Canoe-slalom videos photos news events Olympic and World Records and Results.

Whitewater slalom (canoe/kayak slalom since November 2008) is a competitive sport where the aim is to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging 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. There is also wildwater, a non-Olympic paddlesport.

In Canoe Slalom, athletes have to navigate their canoe or kayak through gates as they work their way through 300m of whitewater rapids in the fastest time possible. Hitting one of the hanging gates or missing one completely results in time penalties which are added to the paddler's time at the end of his or her run.

Slalom Canoeing: Former Olympic silver medal winner and European champion Campbell Walsh explains the techniques and tactics needed for a successful run in the slalom canoeing event; the differences between the red and green gates; and the importance of 'holding the pole' if you want to finish with a chance of a medal.

Official information on Olympic Canoe Sprint events at Rio 2016. Learn about the history of the sport and follow athletes competing at the Summer Games.

A sprint canoe is a canoe used in International Canoe Federation canoe sprint. It is an open boat propelled by one, two or four paddlers from a kneeling position, using single-bladed paddles. The difficulty of balance can depend on how wide or narrow the canoe is, although regularly the less contact a canoe has with the water the faster it goes. This makes the narrower boats much faster and popular when it comes to racing.

Canoeing and kayaking have been featured as competition sports in the Summer Olympic Games since the 1936 Games in Berlin, although they were demonstration sports at the 1924 Games in Paris. There are two disciplines of canoeing in Olympic competition: slalom and sprint.

Intrepid Scottish barrister, John MacGregor was the first European to use an "Inuit Kayak" for tourism and excursion purposes, he also formed the first-ever kayak club "The Royal Canoe Club of London" on the 25 July 1866 in London. The first Canoeing competition, organized by MacGregor, was held in 1869. In 1871 the "New York Canoe Club" was established. The first women's competition was organized in Russia. By the 1890s, canoe sport was popular all over the European continent.

History rules and equipment for Canoe and Kayak Sprint Variety and Origins of crafts Flat water and rapids First Competition and Olympic History.

Canoeing Instructions Online. Learn to canoe with our free, online, illustrated overview for beginners.

Canoeing is a sport or recreational activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle.

A guide to canoeing, paddlesports, gear and destinations.