Jul 24, 2024 - Sports

Kayak cross makes Olympic debut

Analis Bailey

Photo illustration of a kayaker rowing in abstract water. — Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images

Kayak cross is another new kid on the block at the Paris Olympics.

Why it matters: For the first time in Olympic history, athletes will compete in a sprint race combining kayak and canoe slalom disciplines.

How it works: Athletes will race against one another and the clock through an obstacle course with up and downstream gates (or buoys).

Four athletes compete at once and are launched off a ramp over 2 meters above the water to start.
The first to complete the course with no penalties wins.

Zoom out: Canoe and kayak slalom have been included in the Olympic Games for more than 50 years with four events: men's kayak single (MK1), women's kayak single (WK1), men's canoe single (MC1) and women's canoe single (WC1).

Kayak cross will be an additional event for both men and women.

Zoom in: North Carolina's Evy Leibfarth (Bryson City) and Pennsylvania's Casey Eichfeld (Drums) will represent Team USA.

Here are some things to know:

Both hands must stay on the paddle at all times.
Athletes can make contact with other kayaks to push competitors off course.
All athletes are required to complete a 360-degree flip called a kayak roll (also known as an Eskimo roll).

What's next: Kayak cross takes place Aug. 2-5 at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. Where to stream.

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Kayak cross makes Olympic debut

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