Olympic Canoe Sprint

 What is Canoe Sprint?

The formula one of Canoeing with the fastest boats and athletes in the world.  It presents the most complete physical test of any Olympic sport but in the most unstable of environments, on the open water in a boat designed for speed and not stability.  Canoe Sprint is the essance of racing in it's simplets form, with athletes racing on a straight course in seperate lanes in a head to head format.  The first boat across the finish line is the winner.

There are Kayak events in single (K1), double (K2) and quadruple (K4) boats and Canoe events in single (C1), double (C2) and quadruple (C4) boats.

Canoe Sprint became an Olympic discipline in 1936 and its programme includes events over 200m, 500m and 1000m.

The Olympic sprint programme comprises the following events:

Men’s Kayak:

• MK1 1000m
• MK2 1000m
• MK4 1000m
• MK1 200m
• MK2 200m

Women’s Kayak:

• WK1 500m
• WK2 500m
• WK4 500m
• WK1 200m

Men's Canoe:

• MC1 1000m
• MC2 1000m
• MC1 200m

Traditionally Canoe has been exclusively for Men but there is a growing Women’s contingent and Women’s C1 (canoe single) and C2 (canoe double) are in the World Championship programme and could well be in the Olympic programme in the future.

What is the difference between a kayak and a canoe?
In a Kayak, the paddler is seated and uses a two-blade paddle, while in a Canoe, the paddler is kneeling on one knee, and uses a single-blade paddle.