It requires a lot of hard work and determination to make the Olympic Canoe / Kayak team for your country. Cliché? Maybe, but it’s true. The best preparation is to start young, take lessons, and practice, practice, and more practice. Olympic paddlers routinely spend over 250 days each year paddling to fine tune their skills. It really all stems from the canoeists or kayakers love of the sport and affinity to water.

Governing Bodies for the Sport of Canoe / Kayak Each nation has its own governing body for the canoeing and kayaking disciplines. In the United States we have the American Canoe Association (ACA) which sets the standard for canoeing and kayaking in our country. On an international level the governing body for canoe / kayak is the ICF or the International Canoe Federation. The ICF is responsible for setting all rules, regulations, and standards for international paddling events. Each nation holds their own trials to become a part of their national team.

Qualifying for the Olympic Canoe / Kayak Flatwater Events There are 2 ways to qualify for the Olympic Canoe / Kayak Flatwater events. The first is by competing in the 2007 World Championships. Between 144 and 162 athletes will qualify for the 2008 Olympics as a result of competing in the 2007 World Championships. That equates to 100 to 112 male qualifiers and 60 to 72 female qualifiers. The second way to qualify for the Olympics is through the Continental Qualification Competitions.

Each Continent is allotted a certain number of participants.

America is granted 16 male and 7 female Olympic Canoe/kayak Flatwater Qualifiers through the Continental Qualification Competition. The host nation will also be granted qualifying positions in the event that they fail to qualify through either the World Championships or the Continental Qualification Competitions.

Olympic Canoe/Kayak Flatwater Qualifier Summary:

• Total Olympic Canoe/Kayak Flatwater Qualifiers: 246
• Male Olympic Canoe/Kayak Flatwater Qualifiers: 172
• Female Olympic Canoe/Kayak Flatwater Qualifiers: 74
  Qualifying for the Olympic Canoe / Kayak Slalom Events Similarly, there are also 2 ways to qualify for the Olympic Canoe / Kayak Slalom races. The first is by competing in the 2007 World Championships. 52 athletes will qualify for the 2008 Olympics as a result of competing in the 2007 World Championships. That equates to 37 male qualifiers and 15 female qualifiers. The second way to qualify for the Olympics is through the Continental Qualification Competitions. Each Continent is allotted a certain number of participants.
  
  America is granted 24 male and 6 female Olympic Canoe/kayak Slalom Qualifiers through the Continental Qualification Competition. The host nation will also be granted qualifying positions in the event that they fail to qualify through either the World Championships or the Continental Qualification Competitions.
  
  Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Qualifier Summary:
  
  • Total Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Qualifiers: 82
  • Male Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Qualifiers: 61
  • Female Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Qualifiers: 21