After Germany and Hungary dominated canoeing at the Tokyo Games, earning seven and six medals respectively, the canoeing world turns its collective attention to Paris.
Here’s what’s happened since the Tokyo Olympics.
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Canoe slalom
In canoe slalom, Jiri Prskavec of the Czech Republic and Benjamin Savsek of Slovenia are both touted as gold-medal favorites after dominant 2023 seasons. Prskavec won gold in the men’s K-1 in Tokyo and won the 2023 European Games in the event. He has a chance to become the first man to win back-to-back K-1 gold medals in Paris.
Savsek, the defending Olympic champion in the men’s C-1, won his second consecutive world championship in 2023, and is the C-1 gold favorite.
On the women’s side, Australia’s Jessica Fox won her fourth K-1 world title at 2023 Worlds and finished the year ranked first in the World Cup standings. Fox also dominated C-1 in 2023, winning the event in four of five World Cups in 2023 and is the gold favorite for Paris.
Mallory Franklin of Great Britain, however, upset Fox in the C-1 at worlds after Fox suffered a two-second penalty in her last run. Franklin will challenge the legendary Fox in Paris.
The kayak cross event makes its Olympic debut in Paris. Great Britain’s Joe Clarke won three-straight kayak cross world championships to emerge as the favorite in the men’s field at the Olympics.
Countrywoman Kimberley Woods will look to make it a clean sweep for Great Britain in the kayak cross. She finished first in the 2023 World Cup standings in the event and is among the favorites to take gold in Paris.
SEE MORE: The story of canoe/kayak slalom at the Tokyo Olympic Games
Canoe sprint
Since Tokyo, some tight rivalries have emerged in canoe sprint.
In the men’s K-4 500m, Germany, Spain and Ukraine have formed a rivalry. The German boat won gold at the Tokyo Games, but Spain, led by five-time Olympic medalist Saul Craviotto, won the 2023 European Games in the event and will challenge Germany.
Ukraine’s Oleh Kukharyk and Ihor Trunov finished third at both the 2022 and 2023 World Championships. That crew will also contend for gold in Paris.
In the men’s K-1 1000m, defending Olympic champion and world record holder Balint Kopasz of Hungary was upset by fellow Hungarian Adam Varga at two ICF World Cup competitions last year. They’ll duel in Paris alongside Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta, who won the event at 2023 Worlds.
Portugal garnered just a single bronze medal in Tokyo, but the nation’s emergence in canoeing has been a storyline since then. In the men’s K-2 500m, Portugal’s Joao Ribeiro and Messias Baptista shocked the field to win the world title and will aim for the same in Paris.
On the women’s side, the story has been the same for much of the decade: It’s New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington vs. the field.
Carrington won her fourth K-1 500m world title in 2023 and will look to defend Olympic gold in both that event and in the K-2 500m with new partner Alicia Hoskin.
Nevin Harrison of the U.S. is the defending Olympic champion in the C-1 200m, but back injuries hampered most of her 2023. She finished fourth at worlds. Cuba’s Yarisleidis Cirilo Duboys reigned supreme in the event and, after finishing just 12th in Tokyo, will contend with Harrison.
SEE MORE: American Nevin Harrison wins gold in 200m canoe sprint