2012 Kayak and Canoe Olympic

The London Canoe Sprint Invitational International was the first international canoe sprint regatta to take place in Britain for more than 30 years.Eton Dorney had also staged the Rowing test event – the FISA World Rowing Junior Championships – just weeks before the London Canoe Sprint Invitational International Regatta. London 2012 used the Canoe Sprint event specifically to test the timing, technology and workforce for the venue.Luckes said: 'Although Eton Dorney is a proven world-class venue, it was still crucial for us to test our operations ahead of the Games. The event has gone remarkably well and we have seen some fantastic sport, witnessing world class athletes competing in an Olympic venue. We are pleased with how the event has run and are delighted with the athlete feedback.'

Nine canoes, all in a row, racing along a straight, still stretch of water. First to the line wins.

As in slalom canoe, the competition is divided into two classes: the kayak, in which competitors are seated in the boat and can use both ends of the paddle, and the canoe, in which competitors kneel and use a single-bladed paddle to propel themselves.

Athletes race over distances of 200m, 500m or 1,000m, either solo, in pairs or in teams of four. Each event is defined by a code, such as K2 (K for kayak, two for the number of people in each canoe).

As an outdoor sport weather can affect the outcome of a race. Choppy, as opposed to still or calm, water and windy conditions can make a race more physically gruelling and harder to negotiate.

The British canoeists have so far played down any home advantage they may have and expect athletes from other countries to arrive with sufficient time to acclimatise to the conditions.

The canoe sprint, also known as ‘flatwater’, will take place at the same venue as rowing and the two sports are similar. Competitors race in small boats with the winner the first to cross the finish line, the difference being technique used to propel the boat.It has long been argued that women should be allowed to compete in C1 and C2 events but as of yet the International Canoe Federation are yet to change their rules.

Events / disciplines:

C1 Men’s canoe single 1,000 metres

C2 Men’s canoe double 1,000 metres

K1 Men’s kayak single 1,000 metres

K2 Men’s kayak double 1,000 metres

K4 Men’s kayak four 1,000 metres

C1 Men’s canoe single 200 metres

K1 Men’s kayak single 200 metres

K2 Men’s kayak double 200 metres

K4 Women’s kayak four 500 metres

K1 Women’s kayak single 500 metres

K2 Women’s kayak double 500 metres

K1 Women’s kayak single 200 metres