CANOEING
Canoeing is a general term that covers two types of boat and many disciplines.
At Olympic level there are only 2 disciplines on the programme; Sprint and Slalom. Canoes, known by the designation ‘C’ and Kayaks known by ‘K’ are used in both. Canoes use a single-ended paddle to propel or control the boat, where as Kayaks use double ended paddles. Canoeists kneel in their boats which can be singles or doubles (C1 and C2), whereas Kayakers sit and use single, double of 4 person boats (K1, K2 and K4).
Sprint, is raced on a flatwater course over 1000m or 200m, was introduced at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. Up to 9 boats race in a straight line, marked by buoys. Usually a paddler (as the athletes are known within the sport) must progress through heats and semi finals to reach the final. First, second and third across the finish line decide the medals.
Slalom, on the other hand, is a competition of timed runs on a rough water course where the paddler (only a individual, there are no crew boats in Slalom) must try to negotiate their way through ‘gates’ (sets of poles hanging at strategic points over the course) in the correct order and without touching the gates. Paddlers with the fastest times progress from heats and semi-finals through to the final.
National Federation: Canoe Ireland
International Federation: International Canoe Federation
CANOEING NEWS
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SELECTED ATHLETES
Gerry Collins
BIOGRAPHY Gerry Collins competed in the men's K-1 canoe slalom at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games - a pioneering event making its Olympic debut - and produced one of the great individual recovery performances of the Irish team, finishing 24th overall after a challenging first run. In the slalom, every competitor faces the physical and [...]
Ian Wiley
BIOGRAPHY Ian Wiley competed in the men's K-1 canoe slalom at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, finishing 8th in a discipline that was reintroduced to the Olympic programme for the first time since 1972, and which he had targeted as a genuine medal opportunity. From Chapelizod, Dublin. He finished second in the World Cup series [...]
Andrew Boland
BIOGRAPHY Andrew Boland competed in the men's K-1 canoe slalom at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games at the Ocoee Whitewater Centre in Tennessee, not advancing from the qualifying rounds. From Leixlip, Co. Kildare, Boland was one of Ireland's leading slalom kayakers of the mid-1990s. The canoe slalom events at Atlanta were held at the purpose-built [...]