From hunting craft in Greenland to war vehicles in Polynesia, the kayak and the canoe have a rich, varied and global history.

The kayak, which means “man boat” in Eskimo, originates from the northernmost parts of the globe. With animal skin stretched across wooden frames, the craft were primarily designed to keep out the icy waters off Greenland, Siberia and North America. Ideally suited to single occupancy, they were first and foremost hunting and fishing boats.

In contrast, canoes have been in use across the world throughout recorded history varying from children’s playthings made of tree bark to 130ft war machines.

British explorer and travel writer John MacGREGOR is credited with transforming this ancient mode of transport into a sport. Having studied the Eskimo kayak, MacGREGOR founded the Royal Canoe Club in 1866.

Transatlantic competition followed soon after, with the New York Canoe Club opening in 1871.

The basic race rules were, and remain, simple: the first boat to cross the finish line wins.

The sport’s popularity grew steadily through the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, with the first international federation, the Internationale Reprasentantschaft fur Kanusport (IRK) founded in Denmark in 1924. It became the International Canoe Federation (ICF) in 1946.

Canoe Sprint today

Canoe Sprint is the traditional form of canoe racing. Previously, it was called canoe/kayak flatwater.

Canoe Sprint events are held for both canoes (where athletes race kneeling on one knee and using a single-bladed paddle) and kayaks (where athletes use a double-bladed paddle while sitting).

Competitors race as individuals (K1, C1), pairs (K2, C2) and four-person teams (K4, C4). ICF World Championships feature events in all six of these categories, but there are no C4 events at the Olympic Games.

Race distances have been reduced in recent years, making for a more exciting spectacle. At the inaugural ICF World Championships in 1970, the courses were set at 1000m and 10,000m for men and 5000m for women. At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games the men will compete over 1000m and 200m, and the women over 500m and 200m. The 200m sprint was introduced at the London 2012 Games.

European nations have dominated Canoe Sprint, winning around 90% of the world championship and Olympic Games medals available to date. The sport has, however, stirred interest in all parts of the world. To date, there are 161 national federation members associated to the ICF with continental championships in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania.

Canoe Sprint at the Olympic Games

Canoe Sprint, then known as flatwater canoeing, first featured as a demonstration sport at the Paris 1924 Olympic Games. Twelve years later it joined the Olympic programme for men at the Berlin 1936 Games.

Women competed for the first time at the London 1948 Games, racing in the K1 500m class.

The sport’s Olympic programme has varied considerably in the intervening 68 years, with organisers reacting to changing boat technology and audience demands. With even the largest boat, the 1.1m four-man kayak, now weighing just 30kg, shorter, more explosive events have become more popular. The 200m sprint made its debut at the London 2012 Games and returns for Rio 2016.

Germany’s Birgit FISCHER is the dominant figure in Canoe Sprint history. In a remarkable 24-year career, FISCHER won eight gold and four silver medals. As a testament to the German’s extraordinary skill and longevity, she remains the youngest ever canoe sprint gold medal winner – winning the K1 500m as an 18 year old at the Moscow 1980 Games – and the oldest – claiming the Athens 2004 K4 500m title at the age of 42 years old.
                                        
Canoe Sprint in Brazil

Inspired by childhood experiences in Germany, Jose WINGEN (GER), resident of Estrela in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, designed and built the first known racing kayak in Brazil in 1943.

The sport’s development however was slow until the late 1970s when Leopoldo AVILA (BRA) returned from a trip to Europe with a fibreglass kayak. AVILA went on to build more than 200 modern kayaks.

Rio de Janeiro’s Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, the venue for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games canoe sprint and para-canoe events, is the sport’s spiritual home in Brazil. In 1984 it hosted the country’s first official canoe sprint competition and since then has regularly been used for major national and international tournaments.

Brazil became a prime destination on the international canoe sprint calendar in the late 20^th century. In 1988 the South American Canoe Championships took place in Sao Paulo. Ten years later the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cup was held in Entre Rios Oeste, Parana, while Curitiba, also in Parana, hosted the 2000 ICF World Cup and the 2001 ICF Junior World Championships.

Brazilian athletes made their Olympic Games debut at Barcelona 1992. Sebastian CUATTRIN went on to finish eighth in K1 1000m at the Atlanta 1996 Games – the best result at an Olympic Games from a Brazilian canoe sprinter to date.

In 2013, Brazil finally succeeded in the global stage. Isaquias QUEIROZ (BRA) won gold in the C1 500m and bronze in the C1 1000m at the 2013 ICF World Championships in Duisburg, Germany. Two years earlier, QUIEROZ had proved his talent by winning gold in the C1 200m and silver in the C1 500m at the ICF Junior World Championships.