PaddleQLD

Canoe Sprint

Canoe Sprint is one of the best-known competitive canoeing disciplines in Australia. This is probably due to its inclusion in the Olympic Games since 1936 and Australia’s involvement in All Olympics from the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.  Canoe Sprint is all about speed on flat water over distances of 200 metres, 500 metres and 1000 metres.  The craft that have developed are sleek and fast but unstable.

Canoe Sprint kayakers use specially designed allowing paddles for extra power and efficiency.  K1, K2 and K4 are the most popular classes of Canoe Sprint kayaking but there are also canoe classes, C1, C2 and C4.  Both men and women compete in kayaks, but only men compete in canoes.

In Canoe Sprint, events are contested over three distances 200 metres, 500 metres and 1000 metres.  Canoe Sprint at the Olympic Games is contested over 500 metres and 1000 metres only.  However, not every event is contested over both distances.  The canoe and kayak events raced at the Olympic Games are Men’s K1, K2, K4 and C1 and C2 over 1000 metres.  Over 500 metres the events are Men’s K1, K2, C1, C2 and Women’s K1, K2 and K4.

At the annual World Championships and Australian Championships, unlike at the Olympic Games, events are contested also over 200 metres. Men’s and Women’s K1, K2 and K4 are raced over all three distances. The Men’s C1, C2 and C4 events are all run over 200 metres, 500 metres and 1000 metres.