After a very enjoyable Beijing Summer Olympic Games in 2008, the world heads west to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. It’s hard to believe it’s that time again already. While the world anxiously awaits competitions in track and field, basketball, swimming, and gymnastics, paddlers look forward to another season of Olympic Canoe/Kayak events where over 300 paddlers will compete.
The Name of the Olympic Paddling Events
In Beijing the paddling events went by the title Olympic Canoe/Kayak. This year in London it is being shortened to simply Olympic Canoe which is what it was previously known as. This is also in line with the names of the organizations that govern and represent paddlesports such as the International Canoe Federation (ICF) and the American Canoe Association (ACA). Both only have the word “canoe” in the name, yet they both represent both canoeists and kayakers.
The symbols in the event names are pretty self explanatory. "C" stands for a canoe event. "K" is for kayak events. The number after the "C" or "K" tells how many paddlers there are in each boat. The difference between the Olympic canoe and kayak events involves the type of boat being paddled and the type of paddle being used.
The 2012 London Olympic Canoe Slalom Events
The Olympic Canoe Slalom events will be held from July 29 to August 2. In Olympic Canoe, slalom paddling involves navigating a whitewater course while trying to paddler through hanging gates throughout the timed run. The course is the brand new Lee Valley Whitewater Centre. Located between Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire and Waltham Abbey in Essex, the Lee Valley Whitewater Centre was finished in 2010 and was the first 2012 Olympic Venue to be completed.
The Olympic Canoe Slalom Events to be held at the 2012 Games:
- Men’s C-1
- Men’s C-2
- Men’s K-1
- Women’s K-1
The 2012 London Olympic Canoe Sprint Events
The 2012 Olympic Sprint events will be held from August 6 to August 11 at Eton Dorney. Olympic Canoe Sprint events involve racing other canoes or kayaks down a straigh course. Dorney Lake is the privately owned rowing lake of the Eton College Rowing Centre. It is located near Windsor and Eton. For the first time the women paddlers will have two separate K-1, or individual, events.
Women’s Olympic Canoe Sprint Events
- K-1 200m
- K-1 500m
- K-2 500m
- K-4 500m
Men’s Olympic Canoe Sprint Events
- C-1 200m
- C-1 1000m
- C-2 1000m
- K-1 200m
- K-1 1000m
- K-2 200m
- K-2 1000m
- K-4 1000m
