GB Canoeing

History of Canoe Sprint

Intrepid Scottish barrister, John MacGregor was the first European to use an Inuit Kayak for tourism and excursion purposes, he also formed the first-ever kayak club “The Royal Canoe Club of London” on the 25 July 1866 in London.

The first Canoeing competition, organised by MacGregor, was held in 1869. In 1871 the “New York Canoe Club” was established. By the 1890s, canoe sport was popular all over the European continent.

Canoe Sprint became a full medal sport at the 1936 Berlin Games, the Women’s category was added to the Olympic programme in 1948. The British Canoe Union itself was formed in 1936 in order to send a Canoeing team to the 1936 Olympic Games. Canoe Sprint’s Olympic Programme has varied a great deal over the years and has changed and adapted in order to improve its overall standing and to follow current trends and boat technological advances.

The programme for London 2012 will consist of 12 events, eight for men and four for women. The 200m events will be an Olympic feature in London for the first time in the Women’s and Men’s K1 and the Men’s C1. Women will race over 500m in the K1, K2 and K4 and Men will race over 1000m in the K1, K2, K4 and C1 and C2. On the whole, Europe has dominated the sport, winning over 90% of all available medals.

Great Britain won its first Olympic medal in Canoe Sprint in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics when Tim Brabants took bronze in the K1M 1000m.
Canoe Sprint Olympic Medalists 

Canoe Sprint has made some changes to the Olympic programme for the London 2012 Olympic Games with the removal of the 500m men’s events and the introduction of 200m racing to the Olympic programme.

The 12 medals available in Canoe Sprint will be in the following events: