How to qualify for canoe sprint at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained

Canoe Sprint made its Olympic debut in Berlin 1936 with nine events for men, while women competed in the Games in a single event for the first time in London 1948.

Tokyo 2020 was the first game to feature equal numbers of male and female athletes (123 each) in six events per gender. Paris 2024 will welcome 117 men and 117 women who will compete in five events per gender.

Learn more about the Canoe Sprint qualification process below.

READ MORE: The pursuit of qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics begins

number of athletes

A total of 236 athletes will compete in Paris 2024, a drop from 248 in Tokyo. This number includes 115 quota places per gender, four host country quotas (two per gender) and two universality places.

• Kayak Double (K2): 22 athletes per gender
• Kayak Four (K4): 40 athletes per gender
• Canoe Single (C1): 14 athletes per gender
• Canoe Doubles (C2): 26 athletes per gender

There is a maximum of 18 athletes per National Olympic Committee (NOC) – six per gender in kayak and three per gender in canoe. A NOK can enter a maximum of two boats per event at Paris 2024.

Minimum Boat Seating – 126 (63 per gender)

• K1: 15 boats per gender
• K2: 11 boats per gender
• K4: 10 boats per gender
• C1: 14 boats per sex
• C2: 13 boats per gender

qualification system

All eligible NOCs must compete in at least one Olympic event at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.

“Olympic Qualifying Competition” refers to any of the following:

1. Global Qualifying Competition: ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship 2023

2. Continental Qualifying Competitions (Europe, America, Asia, Africa, Oceania)

Global Qualifying Competition: ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship 2023

The first distribution of the 162 athlete quota places (81 per gender) and the initial 74 boat contingent slots (37 per gender) takes place at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships 2023. This figure for athlete quotas includes four host country quotas (two for each gender).

– K1 events (for each gender): seven athlete quotas including one host country quota / seven boat quotas

The six highest-ranking unqualified NOCs of the 2023 World Championships in the men’s and women’s individual kayak events will each receive one athlete quota place. The host country secures a quota for each gender.

– K2 events (for each gender): 12 athlete quotas / six boat quotas

The top six placed unqualified NOKs from the championships in each of the men’s and women’s events will each receive two athlete quota places.

• K4 events (for each gender): 40 athlete quotas / ten boat quotas

All athlete quota places for the K4 events will be awarded at the 2023 World Championships.

The top 10 NOCs of the event each secure four athlete quotas.

If NOCs from fewer than four continents have competed in the K4 Finals at the 2023 World Championships, the highest-ranking NOCs who have not yet qualified will receive the athletes’ quota places, regardless of the continent.

– C1 events (for each gender): six athlete quotas including a host country quota / six boat quotas

The top five ranked unqualified NOCs from the Championships in the Men’s and Women’s Individual Canoeing competitions will each receive one Athlete Quota spot. The host country secures a quota for each gender.

– C2 events (for each gender): 16 athlete quotas / eight boat quotas

The eight best-placed NOKs from the men’s and women’s championships each receive two athlete quota places.

Reallocation of places that become vacant through “doubling” in various events

Upon completion of the 2023 World Championships, any remaining Athlete Quota places released as a result of Athletes “doubling”, i.e. qualifying for more than one Athlete Quota place in different boat classes, will be reallocated as follows:

All quota places released in the K2 or C2 boats will be grouped and awarded to the highest ranking NOCs who have not yet qualified for the relevant K2 or C2 event at the 2023 World Championships for those NOCs to use the K2 or C2 boats can fill boats.

Continental Qualifying Competitions

A total of 72 athlete quota places and 52 boat quota places are distributed via continental qualifying competitions.

• K1 events (for each gender): eight athlete quotas (Europe: two, America: two, Asia: two, Africa: one, Oceania: one) / eight boat quotas
• K2 events (for each gender): ten athlete quotas (Europe: two, America: two, Asia: two, Africa: two, Oceania: two) / five boat quotas
• C1 events (for each gender): eight athlete quotas (Europe: two, America: two, Asia: two, Africa: one, Oceania: one) / eight boat quotas
• C2 events (for each gender): ten athlete quotas (Europe: two, America: two, Asia: two, Africa: two, Oceania: two) / five boat quotas

Maximum Quota Seats in Continental Qualifying Competitions

An NOC can qualify for a maximum of two athlete quota places in each category, ie kayak per gender and canoe per gender, in the continental qualifying competitions. The unused athlete quota places will be awarded to the next best NOC not yet qualified for the K1 or C1 event of that gender.

In the event that a continental qualifying competition cannot be held, the results of the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships for the relevant event will be used to determine the athletes’ quota places for that continent.

places in the host country

The host country is provisionally assigned a total of four quota places at the following events:

• Kayak Individual Men (K1) 1000m – one quota
• Canoe singles (C1) 1000m men – one quota
• Ladies Kayak Single (K1) 500m – one quota
• Canoe Individual Women (C1) 200m – one quota

*See global qualifying competition above (ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship 2023) for more information.

place of universality

Two places of universality in single boats will be made available to eligible NOCs in Paris 2024. These places may be awarded to athletes in canoe sprint and/or canoe slalom.

To qualify for a Universality spot, the athlete must also have competed in at least one Olympic qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games.

competition schedule

A total of ten sets of medals (five per gender) are awarded in the canoe sprint at Paris 2024two fewer than the 12 medal events (six per gender) at Tokyo 2020. Only three of the five men’s events remain from the 2020 games.

men

• Kayak Single (K1) 1000m
• Kayak double (K2) 500m
• Kayak Four (K4) 500m
• Canoe Single (C1) 1000m
• Canoe Double (C2) 500m

Women

• Single kayak (K1) 500m
• Kayak double (K2) 500m
• Kayak Four (K4) 500m
• Canoe Single (C1) 200m
• Canoe Double (C2) 500m

*Events in bold are the same as Tokyo 2020.

The canoe sprint competition takes place August 6th to 10th at the nautical stadium of Vaires-sur-Marne39 km from the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

CONTINUE READING: Sports calendar of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games published

READ MORE: Paris 2024 Tickets: What’s New

Athletes to watch at Paris 2024

Germany and Hungary have historically dominated the Olympic canoe sprint medal table with 29 and 28 gold medals respectively.

At Tokyo 2020, however, New Zealand were a force to be reckoned with Lisa Carrington Won three gold medals in K1 200m, K1 500m and K-2 500m. The 33-year-old also picked up bronze medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 and is likely to be one of the favorites for Paris 2024.

In the women’s canoe competition, Cuban rookie Yarisleidi’s Cirilo Duboys currently leads the world rankings in both the C1 200m and C2 500m. The 20-year-old, who also made her Olympic debut last year, has a chance to become Cuba’s first gold medalist in the canoe sprint if she qualifies for the next edition of the Paris Games.

For men Australia Thomas Green and Jean van der Westhuyzen took gold in Tokyo in the K2-1000, an event that was dropped from the Paris 2024 schedule. However, the Australian duo is also No. 1 in the K2 500m, and Green is also world No. 2 in the K1 1000m, one under Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist and Portuguese star Fernando Pimenta who also won two titles at the 2018 and 2021 World Championships.

Germany will be aiming for a third consecutive gold medal in the men’s K4 500m. Current World #1 Ukraine are worth keeping an eye on while the Tokyo 2020 silver medalists Spainlead by Saul Craviottowill also seek victory in Paris after becoming world champion in 2022.

In the women’s K4 500m, reigning Olympic gold medalists Hungary got off to a slow start to the year, failing to make the podium at the 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Dartmouth, Canada. Tokyo 2020 Bronze Medalist Poland currently tops the world rankings after being crowned the 2022 World Champion.

Canoe Sprint qualification schedule until Paris 2024

• August 23-27, 2023: ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship 2023
• TB: Oceanic Olympic Qualification, African Olympic Qualification, American Olympic Qualification, Asian Olympic Qualification, European Olympic Qualification
• Within 10 business days of the event: ICF confirms the quota places received to the NOKs in writing.
• 10 working days after ICF notification of quota places: NOKs to confirm the use of the allocated quota places to the ICF
• Within 10 working days of NOC quota responses: ICF to reallocate all unused quota places.
• Within 10 working days, the NOCs respond to the reassignment: NOKs confirm the use of the newly allocated quota places to the ICF.
• TB: The tripartite commission will confirm in writing the allocation of universality places to the NOCs (if applicable).
• June 30, 2024: ICF to reallocate unused quota seats.
• July 8, 2024: Registration deadline for Paris 2024 Sport
• July 26 – August 11, 2024: Olympic Games Paris 2024

Find out more about the qualification system for other sports that will be used at Paris 2024.