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While Canoe Sprint was contested in both previous editions of the European Games – in Baku and Minsk – the Games in Krakow will bring a new milestone for European Canoeing. It will be a debut for Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross in the sports programme of the European Games this June and July.

 

Around 250 athletes from 30 European countries are expected to be on the startline of the canoe slalom and kayak cross competitions at the European Games over four competition days.

 

The best European paddlers will fight for ten sets of medals – four in individual canoe slalom events, four in canoe slalom team events and two sets in kayak cross, a discipline that will be in the programme of the Olympic Games for the first time in 2024 in Paris.

 

The well-known Kolna canoe slalom course will be a home of the canoe slalom and kayak cross competitions and athletes that will fight for the medals at the European Games are well acquainted with the rapids of this artificial channel. The Kolna venue hosted senior ECA canoe Slalom European Championships on two occasions – in 2008 and 2013. In addition, many World Cup races and Junior and U23 European and World Championships have been organised here.

 

This year’s European Games will be very important for Canoe Slalom paddlers. Namely, the competition will be European Continental Qualifying competition to win a quota for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. While majority of the quotas will be distributed at the Senior World Championships in London later this year, four quotas (one per event) will be up for the grab for European paddlers already in Krakow. The confirmation of the quotas from the European Qualifier will be, however, confirmed only after the World Championships, when the distribution of the quotas based on the results of the World Championships will be known.  

 

“It is a great honour for canoe slalom to be included in the programme of the European Games in Krakow – Malopolska. The organisers of canoe slalom competitions in Kolna are experienced and we believe we will see an excellent competition and tough fights for the European Games medals. We hope this multisport event – European Games – will bring our exciting sport even closer to the people and that the spectators will enjoy both - canoe slalom and kayak cross - competitions,” said Andrej Jelenc, ECA technical delegate for canoe slalom.

 

There will be a lot of reasons for athletes to be in top form and highly motivated in Poland this summer. “This year’s European Games will be very important for canoe slalom paddlers since they will have a chance to fight for an Olympic quota, which will bring even more excitement to the competition,” said Jelenc and added: “It will be a debut for Canoe Slalom at the European Games in Krakow, but we hope to become an integral part of the European Games in the future editions as well.”

 

 

Canoe Slalom competitions of the European Games will be on the programme between 29 June and 2 July.