Olympic Games

Events > Olympics > Summer > Sports > Canoe and Kayak

Canoeing and Kayaking at the Olympics

Canoe-Kayak was first held at the Olympic Games in 1936 with Flatwater Racing, while Slalom Racing did not appear in the Olympic Programme until 1972.
Canoe and Kayak races are held on both flat water with competitors assigned to lanes, and in slalom events.
Women were added to the program later than the men, and compete only in kayaks.
There are single, double and four boats. The kayak boats are identified by the letter “K” while the canoes are prefixed by a “C”, with the following number indicating the number of paddlers.
In the flatwater events, women race in the 500-metre K1, K2 and K4, while men compete in the 500m and 1000m K1 and K2, 1000m K4 and 500m and 1000m C1 and C2.

Flatwater	Slalom
C-1 1000m (canoe single) Men C-1 500m (canoe single) Men C-2 1000m (canoe double) Men C-2 500m (canoe double) Men K-1 1000m (kayak single) Men K-1 500m (kayak single) Men K-2 1000m (kayak double) Men K-2 500m (kayak double) Men K-4 1000m (kayak four) Men K-1 500m (kayak single) Women K-2 500m (kayak double) Women K-4 500m (kayak four) Women	C-1 (canoe single) Men C-2 (canoe double) Men K-1 (kayak single) Men K-1 (kayak single) Women

The most successful Olympic competitor was Sweden's Gert Fredericson, who between 1948 and 1969 captured 6 gold medals and one bronze