1936

The BCU sent three paddlers to represent Team GB in the Olympics Games , John Dudderidge being one of them .

1939

Franz Schulliof organised the first British slalom event , at Trevor Rocks on the Welsh River Dee .

1948

The BCU hosted their first World Championships for Canoe Sprint in London .

1959

Paul Farrant became British Canoeing ’ s first ever World Champion .

1961

The National Coaching Qualifications & Coaching Committee was established by John Dudderidge

1962

Captain Alec Kennedy RN became BCU ’ s first ever employee ! Since then the organisation has grown to employ over 100 staff members .

1972

Brits Mike Jones , Mick Hopkinson , John Liddell , Rob Hastings , Roger Huyton , Dave Manby and John Gosling completed the first descent of the Dudh Kosi River .

1976

Derek Hutchinson became the first person to cross the North Sea in a single kayak .

1979

Brian Greenham and Tim Cornish set the current record for the Devizes to Westminster ( DW ) Race , with a time of 15 hours and 34 minutes .

1980

Nigel Dennis is the first to complete a circumnavigation of Britain .

1981

BCU hosted the Wild Water Racing World Championships .

1981

We hosted our first Slalom World Championships in Bala , where Richard Fox became Men ’ s K1 World Champion . Fox went on to dominate , winning the title in ‘ 83 , ‘ 85 , ‘ 89 and ‘ 93 .

1986

Holme Pierrepont White Water Course opens .

1988

BCU hosted the inaugural Canoe Marathon World Championships .

1992

Gareth Marriott wins Britain ’ s first ever canoeing Olympic medal , with silver in the Canoe Slalom Men ’ s C1 .

1992

Ivan Lawler became Canoe Marathon K1 World Champion . Lawler went on to win the title another four times , in 1994 ‘ 96 , ‘ 98 and ‘ 99 .

1994

The first Canoe Polo World Championships are hosted in Sheffield .

2004

Helen Reeves became the first British female canoeist to win an Olympic medal , with bronze in the slalom K1

2008

Tim Brabants won Britain ’ s first canoeing Olympic Gold medal in the K1 1000m .

2010

The International Paralympic Committee announced the inclusion of canoeing at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio .

2012

Team GB won 4 medals at the London Olympic Games in Canoe Slalom and Canoe Sprint including the first ever Slalom gold medal .

2014

National Go Canoeing Week launched . A mass participation initiative to inspire more people to take to the water .

2016

Liam Heath became our most successful Olympic canoeing athlete winning Gold and Silver , to add to his 2012 bronze .

2016

Jeanette Chippington , Emma Wiggs and Anne Dickins won gold medals apiece at the Paralympics in Rio , with bronze medals for Nick Beighton and Ian Marsden .

2017

GB ’ s Claire O ’ Hara became the greatest female freestyle kayaker on the planet with 10x World Championship titles .

2018

# ShePaddles initiative launched with 10 paddling Ambassadors .

2018

British Canoeing launched its ‘ Clear Access , Clear Waters ’ charter to Westminster , alongside MPs , Peers , Industry Partners and Key Volunteers .

2020

British Canoeing ’ s community grows to over 60,000 members .

Canoe Focus Early Spring 2021