Excitement is building across the country as we get closer to the London 2012 Games. Around 1.2 million people and 15,000 athletes are expected to visit London as part of the London 2012 Games representing a once in a lifetime opportunity for the country.
The London 2012 Olympic Games will take place between 27 July-12 August 2012 and the Paralympic Games 29 August-9 September 2012.
Canoe Slalom event
The London 2012 Canoe Slalom events will take place from Sunday 29 July to Wednesday 1 August at the brand new Lee Valley White Water Centre, one of four London 2012 venues owned and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.
60,000 spectators will watch with amazement as the 82 athletes from around the globe battle for gold during four gruelling days of completion with just four gold medals up for grabs!
Key facts on Olympic canoeing
- Slalom canoeing was first introduced to the Munich Games in 1972.
- There will be four days of competition at the course in 2012.
- Four gold medals are up for grabs – Men’s K1 (single kayak), C1 (single canoe) and C2 (double canoe) and women's K1.
- 82 athletes will be competing.
- Competitors navigate a twisting sequence of up to 25 ‘coloured gates’ down the 300m-long course.
- Green and white gates must be taken in a ‘downstream’ direction; red and white gates require competitors to paddle in the 'upstream' direction.
- Red and white gates are placed in 'eddies' where the current's direction changes.
- For each gate ‘touched’ they receive a two second penalty. For missing a gate there is a fatal 50 second penalty.
- In the heats each competitor takes two runs, the better score counting towards gaining a semi-final place.
- The semi-final and the final are a single run event. Great Britain won a silver medal in the canoe slalom in the 2008 Beijing Games (David Florence C1) and a silver and bronze in Athens in 2004 (Campbell Walsh K1 and Helen Reeves K1).