Choosing a paddle for young kayak athletes

Biography

Dimitar completed his masters degree in elite sport, and his PhD in sport specific preparation in kayak sprint. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Water Sports at the National Sports Academy Vasil Levski in Sofia, Bulgaria.

A two time Olympian, Dimitar won more than 20 national titles during his 10+ years on the Bulgarian national team, where he also participated in many World Championships, European Championships and World Cups. He has also competed at the Canoe Marathon World Championships.

As a sports administrator Dimitar has organised multiple European and World Championships in canoe sprint, and is a qualified international technical official (ITO).

Session information

In this session Dimitar will explore the history of the development of kayak paddles, then detail the different shapes and their specification. He will explain the relationship between power, style, age and body size with size of blade and paddle, showing related research for these relationships. He will also discuss different coach opinions and various other publications which discuss the way to choose a paddle.