LAUSANNE, November 30, 2023 - If all goes well, 2024 will be an outstanding year for Olympic events and canoeing in particular. One major benefit of sports highlights is growing popularity. Canoeing is no exception, as the increasing numbers of athletes worldwide in the various disciplines go to show. 

Reflecting global trends, there has been a move towards gender equality at the Olympics. In canoe slalom, for example, the men’s doubles has been replaced by the women’s singles. Other events have seen rule changes to bring them up to date. 

NEW COMPETITION A completely new, exciting singles competition will debut at the Nautical Stadium in Paris: the men’s and women’s kayak cross. Four athletes all slide down a ramp at the same time in identical plastic creek boats, as are commonly used for canoe slalom, to race against each other and the clock over the course. Upstream and downstream gates, contact between the boats, waves and eddies add to the challenges in various situations. An Eskimo roll, flipping a full 360 degrees, is also mandatory within a designated zone. Special tactics are definitely required to win the preliminary races and ultimately the finals.

In addition to these innovations in canoe slalom, tradition will still play a role at the Paris Olympics. After all, it was Baron Pierre de Coubertin who founded the modern Olympic Games in Paris. Continuing this tradition, France is hosting the summer games for the third time. Let us just hope that, however difficult the times we live in, the 2024 Olympics are crowned with success.

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY Countless medals in the past have cemented France’s reputation as a top sporting nation. Hopes are therefore also high for 2024. Indeed, France has excelled in canoeing and especially in canoe slalom. The many canoe greats have become legendary in the country. French athletes consequently rank among the favourites for the six canoe slalom events in 2024, which will bring crowds to the venues.

Not only spectators are drawn to the Olympics, paddlers also see the Games as a unique opportunity to compete against the best, win a medal as a reward for the sacrifices made during years of training and gain a lasting reputation in international sport.