Blog Posts: Balint Vekassy
9 insights to the Rio 2016 blog series
This final post reflects on the Rio 2016 blog analytics and assesses how our increasingly online World allowed us to build an online presence for canoeing.
The Rio 2016 blog could be found on the ICF Planet Canoe website, under the Rio 2016 dropdown. The blog ran for 22 days with 28 posts during between July 24th and August 14th. Here is an account of what transpired and what can be learnt from the exercise.
One: Growth of 200% in a 4-year Olympic cycle
The Planet Canoe website showed a 200% growth in audience sessions during the Rio Olympics...Read more
Rio 2016 daily canoe slalom blog index
Here is a quick reference index back to the 28 posts making up this daily Rio 2016 canoe slalom blog in chronological order.
Welcome to the Rio Olympic Canoe Slalom blog
Rio 2016 Olympic Games Canoe Slalom Qualification
Spectators guide to the X-Park Deodoro whitewater centre
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Canoe slalom now to Tokyo 2020
Well, that was fun. What’s next? For now, a look at the remaining 2016 World Cup series, 2017 World Championships and beyond.
The canoe slalom season for 2016 is not quite done yet. We have the ECA Junior & U23 European Championships in Solkan, Slovenia later this month. There are still two remaining races in the 2016 ICF World Cup series in September. Race 4 is in Prague and the final race is in Tacen, Slovakia.
The ICF will continue to bring you news through these races and I will be tweeting results through the World Cup races.
The World...Read more
Most promising paddler award – Jakub Grigar (SVK)
Our award for most promising paddler goes to 19-year-old, Jakub Grigar from Slovakia. “Hands down”, said USA Canoe Kayak overnight.
Grigar has been astonishingly quick all season. He won a silver medal at the Seu d’Urgell ICF World Cup race. In the Olympics, he was the fastest at the 2nd split in the Olympic heat, he was the winner of the Olympic semi-final and he was the fastest at the 2nd split in the Olympic final.
Grigar progression through Rio Olympics ...Read more
Canoe Slalom Olympic day 5 review - C2M & K1W
Ladislav & Peter Skantar maintained Slovakia’s domination as the sunsets on C2M in the Olympics. Maialen Chourraut (ESP) proved beyond doubt that she is the fastest women’s kayak paddler around gates on whitewater. Here is a review of the C2M & K1W semi-finals and finals.
C2M – An incredible 4th Olympic gold for Slovakia
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Canoe Slalom Olympic day 4 review and day 5 medals preview (C2M & K1W)
Joe Clarke was crowned as Great Britain’s first K1M Olympic canoe slalom gold medallist. First, a review of the K1M semi-final and final, followed by a preview of what to expect on Thursday for the C2M & K1W semi-finals.
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All eyes on Deodoro
Good morning and welcome to the hot and sunny Deodoro Whitewater Stadium. Today starts 5 days of the most spectacular, exhilarating, tense and thrilling canoe slalom competition. C1M heats now start today at 13.30pm (GMT/UTC - 03:00 hour)
Good luck to all of the paddlers and teams. Congratulations to the huge team behind the scenes for what they have achieved in bringing this amazing competition in Brazil to fruition.
For a preview of today’s C1M & K1M heats see yesterday’s post.
Will...Read more
Canoe Slalom Olympic Heats Day 1 Review and Day 2 Preview
The first day of thrilling canoe slalom competition got underway at the Deodoro Whitewater Stadium. First, a review of the C1M and K1M heats followed by a preview of what to expect on Monday for the second day of canoe slalom heats.
C1M – Qualification to semi-final largely follows World ranking
In the C1M heats 14 of the 19 started were set to qualify for Tuesday’s semi-final
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Canoe Slalom from behind the lens
Canoe slalom has an incredible appeal through the lens of a camera as well as making stunning TV coverage. There is a personal story behind every picture. We have explained the stories in the captions in this post.
I admire the photographs over the years of a small group of slalom enthusiasts; Tony Tickle, Antony Edmonds, Ettore Ivaldi, Chris Worrall, Pete Astles and ICF photographer Balint Vekassy. I was in awe of the stunning images taken by Tony Tickle in the morning mist of the Savage River at the ’89 World Championships.
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The all seeing eye of the judge
Today we continue the theme of looking at the different roles of those that make Olympic canoe slalom a success. Here we focus on the role of the Judge and explain in more depth the rules of canoe slalom.
To win a medal the paddler needs to be fast and likely clean, meaning no penalties. As the run times have continued to get shorter the possibility to win or medal with a 2-second penalty is unusual. The Canadian Men's Doubles, C2M, presents a unique challenge for the Judges. Both paddlers must negotiate the gate without either paddler touching the poles. It is...Read more
