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Kayak Cross explained
Find out more about the latest paddling discipline set to make a splash at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games .
Formerly known as Extreme Slalom , the discipline has recently had a name change to Kayak Cross and is now featured across the ICF World Cup and World Championship circuit . The fast paced race between four athletes will also make its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as announced in December 2020 .
So what is Kayak Cross ?
Kayak Cross is an exciting discipline which sees four paddlers battle it out against each other on a white water course all at the same time . Unlike the traditional canoe slalom , athletes plunge into the course off a ramp more than two metres above the water and whoever crosses the finish line first wins .
Sounds simple ? There ’ s more to it than that … there ’ s still gates to navigate , but also a ‘ roll zone ’.
The gates for Kayak Cross are different to regular slalom in that they are inflatable buoys . There will be a maximum of six downstream ( green ) gates and two upstream ( red ) gates on the course . Each upstream gate will actually have two buoys , one on each side of the course , and paddlers can choose which to navigate , which is where tactics come into play .
The course also contains a roll zone where paddlers must complete a roll under the water . Any gate missed means disqualification . Not executing a roll in the roll zone , capsizing before the finish or not complying with safety measures also means you ’ re out !
All athletes take part in an individual time trial in which they seek to complete the course as quickly as possible whilst navigating the gates . The top 32 paddlers then qualify through to the heats and are seeded based on their time trial time . Four paddlers take part in each heat , with the first two across the line who have successfully completed the course progressing through to the next round . The rounds then progress through to a final where the top four compete for three medals . www . britishcanoeing . org . uk
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