Rio 2016 Canoe Sprint Format and Rules
There will be 12 canoe sprint events at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The men will compete for eight gold medals, racing in five different boat categories, while the women will chase four golds in a single, double and four-person kayak.
Details on the 12 events and the competition boats are as follows:
Olympic competition format | Boat measurements | |||||||
Men | Boat | Women | Length | Width | Minimum weight | |||
1000m | 200m | K1 | Kayak single | 500m | 200m | 520cm | Free | 12kg |
1000m | 200m | K2 | Kayak double | 500m |
| 650cm | Free | 18kg |
1000m |
| K4 | Kayak four | 500m |
| 1100cm | Free | 30kg |
1000m | 200m | C1 | Canoe single |
|
| 520cm | Free | 14kg |
1000m |
| C2 | Canoe double |
|
| 650cm | Free | 20kg |
Depending on the number of entries in each event, preliminary heats, semifinals and finals (A and B) will be held
Progression from Heats | Progression from Semifinal | Finals |
Up to 8 Boats Direct Final |
| Final A – 1 x 8 |
9-10 boats (2 Heats / 1 Semifinal) Final A | ||
|
| Final A – 1 x 8 |
11 Boats (2 Heats / 2 semifinals) | ||
|
| Final A – 1 x 8 |
12-16 Boats (2 Heats / 2 Semifinals) Final A | ||
|
| Final A – 1 x 8 |
17-19 Boats (3 Heats / 2 Semifinals) Finals A+B | ||
|
| Final A – 1 x 8 |
20-24 (3 heats / 2 semifinals) Finals A+B | ||
|
| Final A – 1 x 8 |
25-27 (4 heats / 3 semifinals) Finals A+B | ||
|
| Final A – 1 x 8 |
28-32 (4 Heats / 3 Semifinals) Finals A+B | ||
|
| Final A – 1 x 8 |
Notes:
• B Finals are added when there are 12 boats or more.
• Where there is a tie with two or more boats that results in progression to the Final, then all these boats go to Final and the lowest ranked qualified boat from the semi-final will not advance to the Final to ensure an 8 boat final.
Differences between the ICF World Championships and the Olympic Games
There are 31 events at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Championships compared to 12 events at the Olympic Games.
Sport rules and procedures
Race distances
1000m, 500m and 200m (lanes are 9m wide).
Scoring
The winning boat is the one whose bow (the tip of the boat) crosses the finishing line first.
Difference between canoe and kayak
Canoes are propelled by a single-bladed paddle. The athletes are on one knee with the other leg forwards, creating a stable paddling position. Since canoes do not have a rudder, the athletes use the paddle to steer, as well as to drive the boat through the water. The canoes may be open or partially covered at the front and back, with a minimum opening of 280cm.
In a kayak, the athletes are seated in the middle of the craft, and propel themselves forwards with a double-bladed paddle, which they pull through the water on both sides. They use a foot operated rudder system to steer the kayak. This rudder must be situated under the hull. For the two-man and four-man kayaks (K2 and K4) the rudder pedals are placed in the front cockpit and can only be used by the athlete at the front.
Lane assignments
For the heats, the winners of the most recent ICF world championship are rewarded with one of the centre lanes. In the semifinals the winners of the heats take the centre lanes. In the finals the winners of the heats and/or the semifinals are awarded the centre lanes.
Team member changes
Team members cannot be changed once the competition has started. Start lists are fixed once the competition begins, regardless of illness or injury. If an athlete cannot participate he/she will be disqualified.
Exclusion
Boats will be excluded from the Games for the following reasons:
• If a boat arrives after the official start time.
• If a boat misses a race.
• If a boat causes two false starts.
• If a boat breaks the 5m rule.
• If at the end of a race a boat is found by the competition committee to have failed to comply with the rules.
There are other possible situations which can lead to disqualification, including underweight boats and illegal advertising.
5m rule
Boats must remain inside a 5m boundary throughout every race. Any boat that drifts into, or close to, another lane may be disqualified.
Best times
There are no records in canoe sprint due to the differences in course set-ups and conditions. The ICF does maintain a list of best times recorded in Finals A.
Tiebreak rules
If two or more boats tie in a heat or semifinal for a position that qualifies the boat for the next round, all boats in question will progress as long as there are enough lanes available in the next round. In this situation, a boat will be permitted to compete in the additional "0" lane.
If there are not sufficient lanes available in the next round, an extra race will be organised between all ties. This race will take place one hour after the final scheduled race in the relevant session.
If there is a tie for a medal position in the final, additional medals will be awarded.
Penalties/disqualification rules
The competition committee may impose the following penalties on competitors:
• Warning
• Disqualification
• Exclusion
Protests/appeals
A boat can make a protest against the decision of the competition committee or the starter within 20 minutes of the finish of a race. Boats may appeal to the jury within the following 20 minutes if they do not agree with the subsequent decision by the competition committee.