Slalom Canoeing

Officially named the 'Games of the XXIX Olympiad' - the 2008 Summer Olympics will be held from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, at Beijing - the capital of People's Republic of China. One of the ancient cities of China, Beijing is the most important center for international trade and communications in the country. Slalom Canoeing is one of the prominent Canoe-kayak events featuring among the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Sports.

Canoe/kayak, as a sporting event was introduced as a demonstration competition at the 1924 Olympic Games. Almost 50 years later, the Munich Olympics in 1972 saw canoe/kayak branching out into Slalom Canoeing - the dramatic whitewater version of the sport. Slalom did not feature in the events contested in the Olympics between 1976 and 1988, but was again added to the Olympic program in 1992.

The Slalom canoeing in 2008 Beijing Olympics will be held at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park on the side of Chaobai River in Beijing's Shunyi District. The time for the event is scheduled from August 11-23, 2008.

Slalom Canoeing in Olympics features men's K1, C1 and C2 and women's K1 (denoting one or two paddlers in a canoe or kayak) events. The paddlers are required to negotiate through 20 to 25 gates in turbulent water over a 300-metre course. Participants aim to reach then finishing line of the course in the shortest time, factoring in penalties.

The ideal slalom canoeing course should include:

• Minimum one gate-combination, which offers the competitors plenty of options
• Constant direction changes and flowing movements using the technical difficulties caused by eddies, waves and rapids

The Canoe / Kayak Slalom equipments will include:

• Bent-shaft paddle
• Blade - the wide part of a paddle that wades through the water
• Canoe - A light open boat propelled by single-bladed paddles
• Cockpit - A light open boat propelled by single-bladed paddles
• Deck - the closed-in area over the bow of the boat, from where water can be shed and gunwales strengthened.
• Double-bladed paddle - paddle with a blade at each end
• Gate - Two striped poles suspended just above the water from a wire stretched across the course.
• the end of the paddle opposite to the blade
• Hull - frame of a boat
• Kayak - light canoe that is made watertight by a flexible closure around the waist of the paddler
• Single-bladed paddle
• Paddle
• Spray Skirts - Paddlers wear these watertight skirts, which attach around the cockpit and seal them into the boat
• Helmet
• Life jacket