Future of C2

[Reformed Boy]

Firstly, many congratulations to Fiona, Joe, David and Richard for representing GB.
We must do more (as a worldwide slalom community) to preserve C2 at the Olympics.
Firstly, I fully endorse the introduction of C1W - no question, I (jealously) admire some of the skills shown by the ladies.
But to think the C2 class will be missing from the Games from 2020 onwards is unimaginable.
C2 is always the most edgy of events, the most techical and the only one that requires partnership and an instant understanding of how your partner will react to circumstances.
In short, it is the true 'spectacle' event of any top level slalom.
On a purely financial basis; having spent many millions on a modern slalom course why do they not use it more at the Olympics?
Whilst many other sports at the Olympics has men, women, pairs / teams including mixed teams why not C2 at slalom.
I would suggest that (along with other lines of pressure) we write to the IOC and the JOC to forward this case.
I'm sure the other slalom nations' competitor bases would support this project.
SAVE C2!

[JimW]

If tennis can have both single sex and mixed doubles in the Olympics, why can't slalom?

[Canadian Paddler]

After 2012 there was a review of sports. The messages from the IOC were that there would be no increase in medal numbers for sports, and no increase in athlete places by sport.

Gender balance is becoming an ever larger issue within the IOC as well. So with no new medals and three male events against 1 female, slalom was caught between a rock and a hard place. My belief is that no one wanted slalom out of the Olympics, no one wanted to lose C2, but balance had to be brought in, so C1W came in and C2 is out for Tokyo.

Canoeing as a sport is still not brilliant as sprint and slalom are one sport (like track and road cycling) and sprint is not gender equal.

The ICF have had a commission looking at what can be done and how to preserve and progress the Olympic position. We wait for their reviews. Hopefully thinking 'out of teh box' and considering moving some sprint quota / medals around.

BTW just try to translate slalom athlete numbers into a gender neutral polo competition, covering all continents and with as wide a spread of nations as possible, seems like they have a bigger task to get into the Games than C2!

[Nick Penfold]

The IOC has been trying to keep a lid on the number of athlete places at the Games, and the sheer size of Rio tells you why. Historically we lost 140-odd slalom athlete places after Atlanta when the Aussies decided they didn't want to build a slalom course for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney - "too expensive". When Slalom was reinstated, after a campaign led by the BCU and the FFCK, the athlete places were not reinstated, and we only got the 80-odd places we have because sprint canoeing gave them up to us.
It's not really conceivable that we would get either more places or more medals without a major struggle. Bringing in C1W in place of C2 does at least translate into 24 boats, rather than 12, though all of us in the sport would rather have both.
Ironies:
An Olympic slalom silver or bronze arguably means less than a World Championship equivalent, because with only one boat per country in a class the second and third best paddlers in the world could be watching it all on TV.
The "too expensive" Sydney course gets more legacy use than anything else built for the Sydney Olympics.

[JimW]

Maybe they should separate out a Water Olympics or even WhiteWater Olympics the way the winter sports are separated out, so the pool of athletes can managed separately allowing for a larger number of disciplines and sports to be involved.

Slalom should have all genders in all classes (+ mixed C2?), Canoe Polo really needs 10 athletes per country (3 subs per game + extras in case of longterm injury), Freestyle would love to be represented too (have you seen how hard those athletes work?), what about River Racing (WWR) - looks like they want to adopt BoaterX so that will give them 3 events (sprint, classic, boaterx)?, marathon?, even surf/waveski (although that would depend on the host country having any surf) and Surfski all have proper organised competition structure. I know there is international raft racing because I've known people on US and Canadian teams.

There is so much more that could be included, but it will need a big re-think on how to accommodate the numbers I suppose.

[JoS]

I would watch the bejeezus out of the Water Olympics!

[boatmum]

I'd watch that too and sailing and rowing could be included to appeal to a wider viewing audience while giving the sports more coverage

[Reformed Boy]

Thank you to those that have made some great replies.
I wonder if any consideration has been given to making slalom a winter olympic game - would they still impose the same restrictions?
Whatever the future.....SAVE C2!

[jjayes]

One answer was to possibly include mixed C2, it was in the Worlds for many years. This would certainly encourage gender equality and not least a bit much needed cooperation and communication between the sexes.

[Mark H]

How about we try and encourage more C2 crews to give it a go.
This could be done by making the entry free for a couple of seasons.
This way crews who would like to give it ago won't have to pay £19.50.
It would be the crews responsibility to ensure they are capable of paddling the water.

It would also be great if we could organise a couple of C2 only training weekend camps at HPP so
people can receive coaching and get their confidence up on a variety of water. I am sure we can keep the cost low
to cover coaches expenses if British Canoeing can't cover it.

If we don't have any boats we have no argument for C2 to be put back into the Olympic Games.

GB took one C2 boat out to the junior Euro's. No under 23 boats and 1 J18 boat. No boats went to the worlds in these age groups. I know there is no GB funding but we must try to get C2's crews not only interested but competitive in these arenas.

I am happy to try and coordinate the HPP C2 camps if people are interested

[jjayes]

So mixed C2 is back at World level. No disputing gender equality there then.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/sportsce ... 9877096860

[WindsorCC]

From Jim's link...

"starting from 2017 ICF will organise the World Championships of “Boater Cross” to have the opportunity of having this race at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo;"

How can we have removed C2 to make space for C1W as there's not supposed to be any expansion of disciplines, but then be looking to introduce boater cross?!?

[jjayes]

https://www.facebook.com/notes/sportsce ... 9877096860

Mixed C2 will be once again an official category of canoe slalom. Last time this category was in the program of the world championships was in 1981 in Bala;