European Canoe Slalom Championships facts for kids

The European Canoe Slalom Championships is a super exciting yearly sports event where athletes from all over Europe compete in canoe slalom. It's like a race against the clock on a wild river! The European Canoe Association (ECA) has been organizing this championship since 1996. For the first few years, until 2004, it happened every two years, but now it's an annual event.

What is Canoe Slalom?

Canoe slalom is a water sport where athletes paddle canoes or kayaks through a course of gates on a fast-moving river or artificial whitewater course.

• Canoe (C) means the paddler kneels and uses a single-bladed paddle.
• Kayak (K) means the paddler sits and uses a double-bladed paddle.
• The gates are either green (go through them downstream) or red (go through them upstream).
• Athletes try to get through the course as fast as possible without touching the gates, which adds penalty points. It's all about skill, speed, and precision!

Championship Events

Athletes compete in different categories based on their boat type and whether they are paddling alone or in a team.

• C1 is for one person in a canoe.
• K1 is for one person in a kayak.
• C2 used to be for two people in a canoe, but this event is no longer part of the championships.
• Team events involve three boats from the same country racing together.
• Kayak Cross (also known as Extreme K1) is a newer, super fast and exciting event where four kayakers race head-to-head down a course with obstacles and jumps.

Past Championships

The European Canoe Slalom Championships have been held in many different cities across Europe. Here's a look at where they've taken place:

#	Year	Host City	Host Country	Events
1	1996	Augsburg	Germany	8
2	1998	Roudnice nad Labem	Czech Republic	8
3	2000	Mezzana	Italy	7
4	2002	Bratislava	Slovakia	8
5	2004	Skopje	Macedonia	6
6	2005	Tacen	Slovenia	8
7	2006	L'Argentière-la-Bessée	France	8
8	2007	Liptovský Mikuláš	Slovakia	8
9	2008	Kraków	Poland	8
10	2009 Nottingham	United Kingdom	8
11	2010	Bratislava	Slovakia	9
12	2011	La Seu d'Urgell	Spain	9
13	2012	Augsburg	Germany	9
14	2013	Kraków	Poland	9
15	2014	Vienna	Austria	9
16	2015	Markkleeberg	Germany	10
17	2016	Liptovský Mikuláš	Slovakia	10
18	2017	Tacen	Slovenia	10
19	2018	Prague	Czech Republic	10
20	2019	Pau	France	8
21	2020	Prague	Czech Republic	8
22	2021	Ivrea	Italy	10
23	2022	Liptovský Mikuláš	Slovakia	10
24	2023	Kraków	Poland	10
25	2024	Tacen	Slovenia	12
26	2025	Vaires-sur-Marne	France

Medal Count (1996-2024)

This table shows which countries have won the most medals at the European Canoe Slalom Championships from 1996 to 2024. It's a great way to see which nations are the strongest in this exciting sport!

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Slovakia	49	26	24	99
2	Czech Republic	48	39	42	129
3	Germany	34	41	37	112
4	France	23	26	29	78
5	Great Britain	20	16	28	64
6	Slovenia	18	14	13	45
7	Italy	7	7	8	22
8	Poland	5	25	11	41
9	Austria	5	13	9	27
10	Switzerland	5	6	6	17
11	Spain	5	5	10	20
12	Ireland	1	1	0	2
13	Ukraine	1	0	0	1
14	Russia	0	0	2	2
15	Greece	0	0	1	1
Totals (15 entries)		221	219	220	660

Note: One gold medal was shared between two athletes at the 2022 European Canoe Slalom Championships.

See also

In Spanish: Campeonato Europeo de Piragüismo en Eslalon para niños

• European Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships
• ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
• ICF World Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships
• Canoe Slalom World Cup
• Canoeing and kayaking at the Summer Olympics
• Canoe slalom