Canoe Slalom is a sport that involves competitors navigating their way down a set course through river rapids. The participants must pass through a series of gates in the quickest time possible with penalties for missing gates.
The gates consist of two poles hanging above the river and 6-8 must be passed moving upstream.
It is high intensity sport combining a mixture of power and skill and has two main disciplines – kayak and canoe. The differences are how the athlete is positioned in the boat and that the kayak paddle is bladed at both ends, the canoe at one.
History of Canoe Slalom
The sport was developed in Switzerland in the early 1930s with the first world championships in Geneva in 1949.
It made its Olympics debut at Munich 1972 but did not return for 20 years. It has been a regular fixture since Barcelona 1992, and its popularity has grown through the years.
Upcoming events
Like many other sports the world championships take place in every non-Olympic year, the Spanish town of La Seu d’Urgell hosting in September 2019.
The worlds are the selection event for Tokyo so all the big names in the sport are expected to attend. Among those likely to star is Australia’s Jess Fox, who will be looking to add to her seven individual world gold medals.
Canoe Slalom betting at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Changes to make the sport gender equal come into place for 2020. The men’s canoe slalom pairs have been replaced by a women’s canoe slalom singles race. There is also a men and women’s kayak slalom race. Jess Fox has a silver from London 2012 and a bronze from Rio so she will be going all out to claim a gold in both disciplines in Tokyo.
Betting on Canoe Slalom: odds, tips and bookmakers
The risk of a hot favourite falling foul is far greater in canoe slalom. The need to get everything right on the day make it unpredictable, with heavily tipped Jess Fox failing to perform at her peak at Rio 2016. Check betting sites such as Pinnacle, William Hill and Betfair to find out what odds they’re offering on canoe slalom.
Always remember to factor in pressure before deciding who to bet on. Consistency is key so follow the sport on sites such as canoeicf to see who is performing regularly in the sport’s ranking events. The site also offers TV coverage.
