(NOTE: All the images open up in a new window,
don't close that window to see new images.
This page will continue being loaded)

AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

The maximum organism at world level that coordinates and controls the activity of all the National Federations of canoeing is the International Canoe Federation (I.C.F).

At the moment, exists 111 countries in the entire world affiliated to the International Canoe Federation, that work unselfishly to diffuse the canoe and the kayak for all the continents, trying to take the practice of this sport to all the corners of the Earth, improving their rules and making it more attractive.

Since 1980, representatives of the five continents and presidents of eight Committees exist in this Federation. It is subdivided, in function of their necessities: Flat-waters, White-waters, Marathon, Sport Medicine, Nautical Touring, Promotion and Information, Kayak-polo and Sail Canoe, all of them chosen democratically in a Congress that integrate all the countries attributed to this Organism.

At competition level there is a wide international calendar, able to assist to any demand and any level. Every year takes place a World Championship of Senior category (above the 18 years) in flat-waters, except the years that take place the Olympic Games, and every two years, a Senior World Championship for white-waters. In 1990 took place the first World Championship of Marathon that has repeated this title annually.

The Junior category (between 16 and 18 years) celebrates World Championships at the same Senior Championships.

On November 24th and 25th, 2000, took place in Warsaw the XXVIII Edition of the ICF Congress that habitually takes place every two years. In this occasion, they took a series of resolutions that affect in an important way the regulations of Flat Waters and leaves open the doors to new modifications in the regulations of Slalom, Marathon and Kayak Polo.

On the other hand, was accepted the inclusion in the ICF of the Federations of Armenia, Dominican Republic, Nepal, Paraguay, Uganda and Vietnam.

TO PADDLE IN A CANOE

The first inconvenience that should conquer the canoeist is the balance, which is more difficult for maintaining in the Olympic canoes and, relatively very stable in the canoes of Nautical Touring. Overcame the balance, the canoeist should begin in the mechanics of paddling that should, saving the biggest amount of energy, transmit the maximum forces to the craft, favoring its best slip in the water and taking advantage of winds and currents in those cases where these circumstances can favor its advance.

Is not conceived a canoeist that doesn't dominate the swimming perfectly, up to the point of being obligatory to be able to federate and to practice. Being a sport developed in a mean that is not natural for the man, is necessary to keep in mind extreme safety rules.

The inexpert canoeist should never come out to the water if it is not in company of another more accustomed to the canoeing practice so can lend any aid type in case of emergency.

In the event of added difficulties, or for long journeys in rivers, lakes or seas, the canoeist should go provided of a lifeboat vest and to not forget, in any case, that the craft completes the conditions of obligatory flotation. This can be the best guarantee.

The preparation of a competition canoeist is very complex, but at the attractive same time, it is necessary to develop a series of psychic, physical and technical values, in a harmonic way to transform the neophyte into an expert canoeist. The indispensable purified technique only is achieved through the appropriate, continuous and properly supervised training. To the sense of domain of the water that should observe a good canoeist, is necessary to add resistance combined with speed and competition spirit. All of them are factors to obtain good results in this sport.

Competition canoeists can begin their learning in kayak/canoe at the eleven or twelve years, but always accompanied by games, without specializing in any modality neither distances. It is the moment to mechanize the technique of a good paddling, and in the case of the canoe, being an asymmetric modality, they will learn for both sides of the canoe. At this age the canoeist can develop a great ability on the craft that should be smaller and more governable than those of competition, qualifying him to be able to carry out the many kilometers that demands the training of the canoeist during a season.

Overcame the phase of precocious initiation, the canoeist will develop the general physical qualities and, once gets a high level, will proceed to work the specific qualities, as well as the election of the modality that more attracts him.

With 12 years a canoeist is in the category "Alevín", with 13 and 14 is Infantile, then will pass to the Cadet category, and with 17 and 18 years are Juvenile. Starting from there, is called Senior. This is the best age to settle in the world of the competition; with some few years more it is reached, for general rule, the best form that can stay easily until the 30 years, and even something else.

Exceptionally we remember the Swedish Gert Frederikson that has the record of having won, among other, six gold medals in Olympic Games, five of them in K-1, among the years 1948 and 1960, the last one already with 45 years. Another singular case is that of Ian Ferguson (From New Zealand) that won a gold medal in the Olympic games of Seoul at his 35 years, and more recently, in the Olympic Games of Barcelona at 1992, the American Greg Barton, at his 33 years, ascended to the podium.

FLATWATER PADDLING IN THE OLYMPICS

Canoe racing is one of the most demanding and attractive of all the Olympic sports. Its athletes demonstrate tremendous aerobic and anaerobic strength exercise. The graceful style and raw power of highly trained athletes paddling to split-second finishes creates excitement and beauty surpassed by no other sport.

Races are contested on calm water for distances of 500 and 1,000 meters. In World Championship competition, 10,000 meter races are added to the program. Men compete at all distances in single, double and quad kayaks. Women compete in single, double and quad kayaks at the 500 and 1000 meter distance.

Canoe/kayak made its first Olympic appearance as a demonstration sport in 1924 during the VIIIth Olympiad in Paris. There were four single-blade events.

The International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) rejected canoeing as an Olympic sport in the IXth and Xth Olympiad because only six nations participated in canoeing competitions. The International Canoeing Association, however, continued to put pressure on the IOC to recognize canoeing as an Olympic sport.

Canoeing was added as a full medal sport in 1936 and 20 nations competed in nine events.

Because of World War II, only 17 nations entered paddlers in the 1948 Olympics. With the first post-war Olympiad came the newly organized International Canoe Federation (I.C.F.).

During 1964, the Olympic program was altered and improved. In 1976, the 500 meter K-1, K-2, C-1, and C-2 for men were included on the program bringing the number of events up to 11.

A boycott by several national Olympic committees reduced the number of participating nations to 23 in 1980, at the USSR Olympics. Despite the boycott, Moscow hosted the games using a man-made regatta course and an automated mechanism for holding boats.

Twenty-seven nations sent their paddlers to the 1984 Olympiad at Los Angeles, although most Eastern Block countries did not participate. The only change to the program was the addition of the 500 meter K-4 women's race.

For the next Olympics at Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996) and Sidney (2000) the canoeing were successfully developed. Year 2000, marked the 16th appearance of canoeing and kayaking in the Olympic Games. It was the XXVIIth Olympiad.
Next Olympiad will be in Atenas (2004).

GUIDE TO FLATWATER OLYMPIC COMPETITION

The Events: There are twelve separate events on the Olympic program. Men will compete at 500 and 1,000 meters in kayak and canoe singles (K-1 and C-1), kayak and canoe doubles (K-2 and C-2), and in a four-person kayak (K-4) at 1,000 meters. Women will compete in single, double and four person kayaks at 500 meters.

The Floats: The boats used in the Olympics are subject to international federation specifications. They range in length from a maximum 17 feet for a K-1 or C-1 to 36 feet for a K-4. Minimum weight for the racing boats vary from 27 to 66 pounds. Olympic kayaks are narrow, enclosed craft with room for one, two or four paddlers. The kayak racer sits inside the craft and paddles with an unattached, double-bladed paddle. The person seated in the front of the kayak uses foot rudders to help steer the boat. Racing canoes are rudderless, diamond-shaped, open boats that are propelled by a single-bladed paddle. The canoeist is positioned in a "high-kneel" stance.

The Course: Competition is held on a 1,000-meter course, which consists of nine buoyed lanes, each nine meters wide. Boats are required to stay in their assigned lanes and are not allowed to venture within five meters of the boats on either side. The penalty for violating these rules is disqualification. Course umpires follow the competitors in motor boats to watch for infractions as well as to ensure safety.

The Competition: To determine the nine athletes, who will compete in the final of each event, a series of heats, repechages and semi-finals is used. The heats are assigned by a "blind draw," that is; there is no seeding. The number of competitors determines the number of heats required in that event. The first three finishers in each heat progress directly to the semi-final, the remainder moves on to a repechage, a second chance at the semi. The first three finishers in the semi advance to the final and in the men's single kayak and canoe races the fourth, fifth and sixth finishers go to a petite-final. A competitor's place of finish is the sole determinant for advancement; however, finish line judges will also time each lane so that the athletes can compare their performance against others.

The Races: The competitors in each race will line-up at the starting line with the stern of the boat in the grasp of a "boat holder". The starter will give the commands "Ready-Go" and fire a pistol. In the event of a false start, all boats will be recalled to the starting position. Two false starts will automatically disqualify bye guilty party. Each race begins and ends with an all-out sprint for 100-150 meters, providing spectators with maximum viewing excitement.

COMPETITION BOAT SPECIFICATIONS

There are five different boats used for Olympic canoe/kayak events; one-man and two-man canoes, and one, two and four-place kayaks. The specifications for these boats are set and enforced in accordance with the International Canoe Federation regulations.

The single canoes and kayaks are about 17 feet long, the doubles are about 21 feet long and the four-seat kayak is approximately 36 feet long. Canoes have no rudder and are paddled by a single-bladed paddle in a high-kneeling position. Kayaks have a foot controlled rudder and are paddled by a double-bladed paddle in a sitting position. Each of the boats is very narrow and very unstable in order to produce maximum speed. An experienced and strong K-4 team has enough speed to pull a lightweight water-skier.

These boats are subject to rigid inspection procedures governing maximum length, minimum weight and some other specifications.

Modifications to the regulation of Flat Waters - Year 2000

The XXVIII Congress of the International Canoe Federation, established that starting from 2001 it won't have a minimum measure in the width of the lane crafts, and one year before every Olympic Game will be closed the term for any type of innovation.

Nevertheless, it was established with fixed character that the seat should be inside the craft.

The weight and longitude of the craft continued being the same as usual. It also was established the high place of the craft in the most advanced point of the first cockpit.

The C-1 and C-2 must have a minimum opening of 280 cm and the C-4 of 390 cm.

The Directive Board of the ICF also approved an article to give the exit in the competitions. The voice of "ATTENTION PLEASE" that goes immediately before the exit shot, was substituted with "TEN SECONDS TO THE START."

The women, starting from that moment, have the distance of 1.000 meters in K-4 for the World Senior Championships.

In the World Junior Championships the women will compete the 1.000 meters in K-1 and K-2 with possibility of being extended for the K-4.

There were included the finals "B" in the World Senior and Junior Championships.

CANOEING IN VENEZUELA

The touring canoeing in Venezuela has not spread and organized enough like to possess registrations of navigable waters for this crafts, and much less to classify these waters for degrees of difficulty. However, most of these data have been gathered from people's personal experiences that are devoted to this sport in our country, which can or not belong to regional clubs or associations.

 Venezuela has a wide completely navigable marine coast, as well as rivers, lakes and reservoirs, splendid for the practice of the canoeing
(See Map).

Many of the navigable places have fabulous journeys of long distance (50 Km or more), that which doesn't mean of course that they should be traveled in all their extension for a single time, but rather along that itinerary they can be cities, towns or places of supply. Of course, there are also totally isolated areas, to which it is advisable to navigate with people guides and enough trip equipment.

For further data you can appeal to the maps by sectors, or to the advice of residents of the area, after making sure that they know the journey where you want to go.

For those interested in the competition canoeing, I advise them to contact the Venezuelan Canoeing Federation (F.V.C).
You can also go to the places where the canoeing is practiced at national level (See press article).

 Regionally there are some clubs or associations of national canoeing, that organize events of touring or competition canoeing.   At the moment fourteen canoeing associations exist (Anzoátegui, Aragua, Bolívar, Carabobo, Distrito Federal, Lara, Mérida, Miranda, Nueva Esparta, Sucre, Táchira, Vargas, Yaracuy and Zulia), that participates in events of national level, and from where are selected through championships the representatives from Venezuela at international competitions.

Some of the Clubs of more outstanding competition that have figured in the history of the canoeing in Venezuela are: Tritón, Puerto Azul, Canoe Kayak Club U.C.V, Canomir and Military Circle.

On who sells kayaks in Venezuela, an excellent option is "Moby Dick".

CANOEING TERMS

REFERENCES

Sign my [Guestbook]
See my Guestbooks: Book 1 Book 2

CTC© All Copy Rights Reserved
xabier_sanjuan_a@yahoo.com