The debut of kayak cross at the Olympic Games has been a resounding success, with global media and fans thrilled alike.
Here are some of the best reactions from the digital world.
James Gheerbrant, The Times: On an afternoon of eddying drama in the postcard-pretty town of Vaires-sur-Marne, we were introduced to kayak cross, the Olympics’ newest nautical event: a test of skill, spatial processing and survival instinct; a spectacle that combines the sport of Birgit Fischer and Michal Martikan with the wild spins and pure havoc of Mario Kart.
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Issy Ronald, CNN: With its breakneck competition, exhilarating starts and whitewater waves, the kayak cross has proven to be one of the most unique and exciting spectacles at these Olympic Games, already going viral on social media.
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Cliff Brunt, Associated Press: This is not what kayak fans are used to seeing at the Olympics. Competitors’ boats drop into the water from a 15-foot-high platform as three other paddlers work furiously to gain traction. Then, in bumper-car-like fashion, those athletes can ram the other kayaks at any time as they work their way around gates in different directions similar to downhill skiing.
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James Corrigan, The Telegraph: Splash, bang, wallop! The bangs and wallops are as inevitable as all the splashing in an event where chaos reigns and kayakers are prone to lose a tooth or two. When the IOC added kayak cross – formerly known as extreme kayaking – to the schedule for its Olympic Games debut it knew it was on to a winner. They race down the course together and battle not against the stopwatch, as in the traditional form of the slalom sport, but against each other. For once the clock is more forgiving.
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Kayak cross has indeed made a splash all over the globe, with major media houses like Le Monde, Sports Illustrated, and Sydney Morning Herald among others covering the event.
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