There is one new event you simply won’t be able to take your eyes off at Paris 2024.
Kayak cross, previously known as extreme slalom, will be making its Olympic debut this summer.
It’s already familiar to many of Britain’s top canoeists, some of whom have already planted their flag atop the growing Kayak Cross world.
If it were a movie, it would be Fast and Furious – welcome to the revolutionary event set to make an almighty splash in Paris.
How does it work?
Kayak cross is a combination of all white-water disciplines, with competitors racing in identical plastic creek boats.
The event is split into two stages, starting with a time trial which forms the basis of the seeding for the head-to-head rounds.
The initial time trial stage follows a similar structure to slalom with arrows depicting which side of the gates competitors must pass.
The quickest past the post then has lane choice when it comes to the heats, and this is where the event breaks new ground.
Four boats are simultaneously pushed off a ramp placed more than two metres above the water, splashing onto the course as one.
From there, it’s quite literally a battle to the finish line with contact permitted unless it borders on the dangerous, all while having to navigate downstream and upstream buoys.
Each athlete must also complete a compulsory eskimo roll (more on that later) where they will have a short window of opportunity to roll their kayak and complete a 360-degree flip.
Sounds punishing, right? Well there are a variety of ways to get disqualified too – be that breaking the start, missing a buoy, dangerous paddling or failing to complete the eskimo roll.
As 2016 Olympic champion Joe Clarke puts it, “you have to see it to appreciate it.”
When did it start?
Kayak cross first appeared on the ICF’s World Cup program in 2015 but will be new to the Olympic program in 2024.
Many of the British team have already enjoyed great success in the new discipline, with Clarke winning back-to-back world titles in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and Kimberley Woods taking the world title last year.
What do athletes make of it?
The ramp start, the head-to-head scenario and the high likelihood of contact all pose different and new challenges for Olympic athletes.
Franklin explains: “I think the time trial ends up being about how technically good you are at using the boat whereas the head-to-head is more tactical.
“It’s much more in the moment in terms of having to deal with things. That’s not something we have to do ordinarily.”
Canoeist Joe Clarke has won all of these medals THIS YEAR 🤯
— Team GB (@TeamGB) October 30, 2023
🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈🥉🥉
Running out of storage space, @joeclarkek1? pic.twitter.com/duf9CfuO95
Clarke agrees: “Decision-making is probably the biggest skill tested.
“Getting out ahead is the key and reading situations ahead of you. Some athletes love the fight, whereas others want to avoid that at all costs.
“You have to remain relaxed and see situations ahead of you, a bit like boxing. If you were to get an uppercut and weren’t a professional, you might see red but then your guard is down, and you get hit again.
“It’s about remaining calm and composed in the midst of it.”
What impact will it have?
It goes without saying that another event offers more medal opportunities.
But behind-the-scenes at Lee Valley White Water Centre, a lot of work has been done to fully get to grips with the new discipline.
Performance director Mark Ratcliffe explains: "The mechanics of padding are just as they are for slalom but we’ve had to learn the rules, the techniques and the tactics and create the opportunity here with the training environment to practice it.
“It’s a massive opportunity for the sport and I think over time it will make the sport more attractive.”
How does the ramp come into play?
The new event has brought a new addition to Lee Valley.
To help replicate the race scenario, a permanent ramp has been installed at the home of British Canoeing.
Ratcliffe insists that while exciting for the spectators, it’s where the race itself can be won and lost.
“It’s quite iconic, it’s at the top of the course and an exciting spectacle.
“The start is an important part of the race, if you can get ahead in the early stages it does make a difference as you’re in a position to defend rather than overtaking people.”
What is exactly is an Eskimo roll?
Often placed on the second half of the course is the roll zone, marked with two lines of flags on either side of the water.
It adds yet another element for the paddlers like Clarke to think about in the heat of battle.
“I guess it’s similar to the steeplechase when runners have the water jumps – it interrupts the rhythm of the boat.
“You have to take a big deep breath, throw yourself in, do the roll, come back up and then there’s that disorientation factor of which way the boat is facing.
“There is a lot going on, it’s pretty hard work.
“Put it this way, Usain Bolt running the 100m on his own is pretty boring but with seven other guys, it’s very interesting.”
Sportsbeat 2024