Canoeing at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification explained

This article details the qualifying phase for canoeing at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Similar to the previous editions, the International Olympic Committee and the International Canoe Federation (ICF) have established a qualification system for both slalom and sprint canoeing. The quota places have already been set for each event by ICF in October 2022.

Qualification summary

NOC	Slalom						Sprint										Total
	width=33 rowspan="2" class="unsortable"	K1 M!	width=33 rowspan="2" class="unsortable"	C1 M!	width=33 rowspan="2" class="unsortable"	KX1 M!	width=33 rowspan="2" class="unsortable"	K1 W!	width=33 rowspan="2" class="unsortable"	C1 W!	width=33 rowspan="2" class="unsortable"	KX1 W!	Men					Women			width=50 rowspan="2"	Boats !	width=50 rowspan="2"	Athletes
	width=33 class="unsortable"	K1 1000 !	width=33 class="unsortable"	K2 500 !	width=33 class="unsortable"	K4 500 !	width=33 class="unsortable"	C1 1000 !	width=33 class="unsortable"	C2 500 !	width=33 class="unsortable"	K1 500 !	width=33 class="unsortable"	K2 500 !	width=33 class="unsortable"	K4 500 !	width=33 class="unsortable"	C1 200 !	width=33 class="unsortable"	C2 500
align=left																		2	1
align=left																		2	1
align=left																		1	2
align=left																		2	2
align=left																		11	15
align=left																		4	2
align=left																		2	3
align=left																		10	8
align=left																		1	1
align=left																		10	15
align=left																		2	2
align=left																		9	17
align=left																		3	3
align=left																		1	1
align=left																		2	1
align=left																		3	2
align=left																		3	3
align=left																		10	9
align=left																		3	6
align=left																		1	1
align=left																		13	13
align=left																		13	21
align=left																		6	4
align=left																		1	1
align=left																		8	15
align=left																		2	2
align=left																		5	3
align=left																		8	7
align=left																		5	3
align=left																		3	6
align=left																		2	5
align=left																		3	3
align=left																		2	3
align=left																		3	2
align=left																		6	5
align=left																		10	13
align=left																		1	2
align=left																		1	4
align=left																		12	16
align=left																		3	4
align=left																		2	3
align=left																		2	2
align=left																		1	1
align=left																		2	2
align=left																		3	8
align=left																		1	1
align=left																		6	4
align=left																		6	4
align=left																		3	5
align=left																		14	19
align=left																		5	5
align=left																		4	2
align=left																		2	2
align=left																		6	8
align=left																		7	5
align=left																		1	1
align=left																		3	3
align=left																		1	1
Total: 58 NOCs	22	17	24	21	17	24	15	11	10	16	12	16	11	10	15	13	255	300

Slalom

For the slalom events, the men and women will each compete in C-1, K-1, and the inaugural KX-1 (kayak cross). Quota places are allocated to NOCs, not to specific canoeists. NOCs are limited to one boat for each event. These qualification spots will be awarded as follows:^[1] ^[2]

World Championships (for canoe and kayak singles) – The highest-ranked eligible canoeists in every single boat (considering only one boat per NOC) will obtain a quota place for their respective NOC. Fifteen qualification spots are available in the K-1 events and twelve in the C-1.
Global Qualification Tournament (for kayak cross) – The top three eligible NOCs in each kayak cross event will be awarded a quota place.
Continental Qualification Events – NOCs eligible for qualification in a given event will secure a single quota place for their respective continent.
Host country – As the host country, France reserves one quota place each for the men's and women's slalom canoe and kayak singles. If one or more French slalom canoeists qualify regularly and directly, their slots will be reallocated to the next highest-ranked eligible NOCs in the kayak singles from the 2023 ICF World Championships, or any of the continental qualification tournaments.
Universality places – Two invitational places will be entitled to eligible NOCs interested to have their canoeists (whether slalom or sprint) compete in Paris 2024 as granted by the Universality principle.
Reallocation – Unused quota spots will be reallocated.

Timeline

width=350	Event !	width=200	Date !	width=200	Venue
	June 29 – July 2, 2023	Kraków, Poland
	September 19–24, 2023	Lee Valley, Great Britain
2023 Asian Canoe Slalom Olympic Qualifiers	October 27–29, 2023	Tokyo, Japan
2024 Oceania Canoe Slalom Championships	January 26–28, 2024	Penrith, Australia
2024 African Canoe Slalom Olympic Qualifiers	February 9–11, 2024	Sainte-Suzanne, Réunion
	March 15–17, 2024^[3]	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
	June 7–9, 2024

Qualification table

Event	Men's K-1	Men's C-1	Men's KX-1	Women's K-1	Women's C-1	Women's KX-1
Host nation	—			—
2023 World Championships	valign=top		valign=top			valign=top	valign=top

2023 Asian Qualifier
2024 Oceania Championships	—			—	—
2024 African Qualifier				—	—
2024 Pan American Qualifier
	valign=top		valign=top
Universality Places
Reallocation
Invitation Places
Total	22	18	3	21	17	3

Sprint

NOCs are limited to two boats per sprint event, a maximum of six per gender in kayaking, and a maximum of three per gender in canoeing, constituting a roster of eighteen canoeists. The qualification pathway enables the NOC to participate and not necessarily those who earn a direct quota place. These qualification spots will be awarded as follows:^[4]

World Championships – The highest-ranked eligible canoeists in every single boat (considering only one boat per NOC) will obtain a quota place for their respective NOC. Five-boat spots are available in the C-1 events with an additional place reserved for the host country each in the men's 1000 m and women's 200 m, seven in the K-1 events (including a berth reserved for the host country in the men's 1000 m and women's 500 m), six in the K-2 500 m, eight in the C-2 500 m, and ten in the K-4 500 m.^[4]
Continental Qualification Events – NOCs eligible for qualification in a given event will secure an assigned number of quota places for their respective continent. For the K-1 and C-1 events, two-boat spots will be awarded for each continent, except for Africa and Oceania (both of which will earn a single quota place). For the K-2 and C-2 events, a single-boat berth is assigned to each continent based on the results from the World Championships: the highest-ranked NOCs eligible for qualification across five continents will secure a direct quota place.
Host country – As the host country, France reserves one quota place for the events listed in the World Championships section. If one or more French slalom canoeists qualify regularly and directly, their slots will be reallocated to the next highest-ranked eligible NOCs in the corresponding event from the 2023 ICF World Championships.
Universality places – Two invitational places will be entitled to eligible NOCs interested to have their canoeists (whether slalom or sprint) compete in Paris 2024 as granted by the Universality principle.
Reallocation – Unused quota spots will be reallocated. This occurs because several canoeists who qualified for a larger boat category may also compete in a smaller category, freeing up quota place(s) that the NOC has earned in a smaller category.

Timeline

width=350	Event !	width=200	Date !	width=200	Venue
	August 23–27, 2023	Duisburg, Germany
2023 African Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifiers	November 23–26, 2023	Abuja, Nigeria^[5]
2024 Oceania Canoe Sprint Qualifier	February 14–18, 2024	Penrith, Australia
	April 18–21, 2024	Tokyo, Japan^[6]
2024 Pan American Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifiers	April 23–25, 2024	Sarasota, United States^[7]
2024 European Canoe Sprint Qualifier	May 8–9, 2024	Szeged, Hungary

Qualification table

width=100	Event !	width=140 rowspan="2"	2023 World Championships !	Continental Qualification					width=50 rowspan="2"	Additional !	width=50 rowspan="2"	Total
Men Kayak	width=140	Africa !	width=140	Oceania !	width=140	Asia !	width=140	Americas!	width=140	Europe
K-1 1000 m						^BLR		valign=middle	18
K-2 500 m	^AQ ^AQ ^AQ							valign=middle	12
K-4 500 m		valign=middle	10
width=100	Event !	width=140 rowspan="2"	2023 World Championships !	Continental Qualification					width=50 rowspan="2"	Additional !	width=50 rowspan="2"	Total
Men Canoe	width=140	Africa !	width=140	Oceania !	width=140	Asia !	width=140	Americas!	width=140	Europe
C-1 1000 m								valign=middle	17
C-2 500 m						^RUS		valign=middle	13
width=100	Event !	width=140 rowspan="2"	2023 World Championships !	Continental Qualification					width=50 rowspan="2"	Additional !	width=50 rowspan="2"	Total
Women Kayak	width=140	Africa !	width=140	Oceania !	width=140	Asia !	width=140	Americas!	width=140	Europe
K-1 500 m								valign=middle	21
K-2 500 m								valign=middle	11
K-4 500 m		valign=middle	10
width=100	Event !	width=140 rowspan="2"	2023 World Championships !	Continental Qualification					width=50 rowspan="2"	Additional !	width=50 rowspan="2"	Total
Women Canoe	width=140	Africa !	width=140	Oceania !	width=140	Asia !	width=140	Americas!	width=140	Europe
C-1 200 m		^UP				^RUS	valign=middle	17
C-2 500 m			^			~~^BLR~~	valign=middle	13

Notes and References

News: Virgilio. Francheschi Neto. How to qualify for canoe slalom at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained.. . 12 December 2022 . 23 December 2022.
News: Slalom road to Paris revealed. International Canoe Federation. 8 December 2022 . 23 December 2022.
News: 2024 COPAC CANOE SLALOM PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS & OLYMPIC QUALIFIER. International Canoe Federation. 17 September 2023.
News: EJ Monica. Kim. How to qualify for canoe sprint at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained.. . 12 December 2022 . 23 December 2022.
News: 2023 CAC CANOE SPRINT AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS & OLYMPIC QUALIFIER. International Canoe Federation. 2 October 2023.
News: 2024 CANOE SPRINT ASIAN OLYMPIC QUALIFIER. International Canoe Federation. 17 September 2023.
News: 2024 CANOE SPRINT PAN AMERICAN OLYMPIC QUALIFIER. International Canoe Federation. 17 September 2023.