The lions share of places for the Canoe Slalom races at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games have been confirmed following the recent 2015 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships at the Lee Valley White Water Centre in London.
Eight nations secured a place across the four Olympic disciplines – K1M, K1W, C1M, C2M – there are now 12 places up for grabs at the remaining continental qualifiers, for those nations that have not yet booked their spot.
Interestingly, Russia pushed itself into the top tier of nations as one of the eight to ensure that they will contest all four events in Rio – Great Britain, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia were the other seven.
The hosts for next year's Games also secured two direct qualification spots with Ana Satila booking a place in the K1W and Pedro Da Silva in the K1M. Brazil will also gain a boat in the other two events as the Olympic host nation.
Spain with it all to do in K1M
In both the K1M and K1W 18 of the 21 places have been confirmed with Africa, Asia and Europe still able to qualify a boat for each event from their continental competitions (Schedule below).
As expected, athletes from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, Austria and Slovakia comfortably secured their nation's starting positions at the 2016 Games.
However, as things stand Spain have only qualified in the women's event with no one in their men's squad able to match Maialen Chourraut's effort and secure next season's South American trip.
They will now have to qualify from the tricky European Championships in Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia next May.
Smolen leads the Americas
Michal Smolen's (USA) exceptional bronze in London reaffirmed his nation's position on the start line in Rio, a position the 22-year-old had previously secured with gold at the PanAm Championships in Mid-July.
In the men's K1, Azerbaijan's Jure Meglic (14), Japan's Kabuki Yazawa (23), New Zealand's Mike Dawson (28), Australia's Jaxon Merit (29), plus the previously mentioned, Da Silva (BRA, 49) were the other athletes outside of Europe to secure their nations a spot.
Australia's Jessica Fox (3), New Zealand's Luuka Jones (11) and Japan's Aki Yazawa (25) managed the same in the women's K1 event.
China's Li Tong secured her nation's only direct qualification from the World Championships after finishing 12th, but will no doubt have a fierce battle with compatriot Li Lu, who finished just six places behind, for the Rio ticket.
Canada secured their kayak starting positions at next year's event through the PanAm Games, whilst the Cook Island - due to the eligible nations rule - will also have an athlete in men’s and women’s K1 events in Rio and compete Oceania's quota in those events.
Japan start their Olympic canoe charge
Europe controlled the C1M qualification with eight of the 10 direct qualification places going to the sports dominant continent. Casey Eichfeld (USA) and Takuya Habeda (JPN) took the other two direct spots.
Canada's Cameron Smedley secured the Americas continental spot and Brazil are allocated a host nation quota.
There is now just a single place available at each of the four remaining continental qualifiers.
Germany, France, Slovenia, Great Britain, Poland, Slovakia, Russia and the Czech Republic each secured a C2M place in Rio; the rest of the European nations will have a second chance at their continental qualifiers.
After not qualifying directly in London, the USA will take the Americas continental position and Brazil will activate their host nation's prerogative.
This leaves one place for the best nation from Asia that will be allocated following the championships in Toyama, Japan next April.
Olympic Continental Qualification Events
AMERICAS 18-19 July 2015
Toronto 2015 Pan Am & Parapan Am Games
AFRICA 6-11 November 2015
ICF Canoe Slalom African Championships, Sagana, Kenya
OCEANIA 19-21 February 2016
Oceania Championships, Penrith, Australia
ASIA 23-24 April 2016
Asian Canoe Slalom Continental Championships, Toyama, Japan
EUROPE 12-15 May 2016
European Canoe Slalom Championships, Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia
| K1 MEN | ||||
| NOC Rank | NOC | QUOTA RESERVED BY | ATHLETE QUOTA | BOAT QUOTA |
1 | CZE | Jiri PRSKAVEC | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | POL | Mateusz POLACZYK | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | USA | Michal SMOLEN | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | SLO | Peter KAUZER | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | GER | Alexander GRIMM | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | ITA | Daniele MOLMENTI | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | FRA | Sebastien COMBOT | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | AZE | Jure MEGLIC | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | RUS | Pavel EIGEL | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | GBR | Bradley FORBES-CRYANS | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | JPN | Kazuki YAZAWA | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | AUT | Mario LEITNER | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | SVK | Martin HALCIN | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | NZL | Michael DAWSON | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | AUS | Jaxon MERRITT | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Africa | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Asia | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | Europe | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | COK | Bryden NICHOLAS* | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | BRA | Pedro DA SILVA** | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | CAN | John HASTINGS*** | 1 | 1 |
*No continental qualification race as less than three countries eligible
**Second in PanAms (USA first but qualified via World Championships)
***HOC quota stays in continent so goes to third at Pan Ams (continenal timed competition)
| K1 WOMEN | ||||
| NOC Rank | NOC | QUOTA RESERVED BY | ATHLETE QUOTA | BOAT QUOTA |
1 | CZE | Katerina KUDEJOVA | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | GER | Ricarda FUNK | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | AUS | Jessica FOX | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | ESP | Maialen CHOURRAUT | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | SVK | Jana DUKATOVA | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | GBR | Elizabeth NEAVE | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | NZL | Luuka JONES | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | CHN | Tong LI | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | BRA | Ana SATILA | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | AUT | Violetta OBLINGER-PETERS | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | FRA | Marie-Zelia LAFONT | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | RUS | Marta KHARITONOVA | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | SLO | Eva TERCELJ | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | POL | Natalia PACIERPNIK | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | JPN | Aki YAZAWA | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | ITA | Maria Clara GIAI PRON* | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | Africa | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Asia | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Europe | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | COK | Ella NICHOLAS** | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | CAN | Jazmyne DENHOLLANDER | 1 | 1 |
* Host Nation place not used so 16th place qualifies
**No continental qualification race as less than three countries eligible
| C1 MEN | ||||
| NOC Rank | NOC | QUOTA RESERVED BY | ATHLETE QUOTA | BOAT QUOTA |
1 | GBR | David FLORENCE* | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | SLO | Benjamin SAVSEK | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | USA | Casey EICHFELD** | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | SVK | Alexander SLAFKOVSKY | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | FRA | Martin THOMAS | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | GER | Franz ANTON*** | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | POL | Grzegorz HEDWIG | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | RUS | Aleksandr LIPATOV | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | CZE | Michal JANE | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | JPN | Takuya HANEDA | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | Africa | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Asia | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | Europe | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | Oceania | Continental Qualifier | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | CAN | Cameron SMEDLEY | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | BRA | HOC | 1 | 1 |
*Athlete quota earned by GBR in C1M and C2M
**Athlete quota earned by USA in C1M and C2M
***Athlete quota earned by GER in C1M and C2M
| C2 MEN | ||||
| NOC Rank | NOC | QUOTA RESERVED BY | ATHLETE QUOTA | BOAT QUOTA |
1 | GER | Franz ANTON/Jan BENZIEN | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | FRA | Pierre PICCO/Hugo BISO | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | SLO | Luka BOZIC/Saso TALJAT | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | GBR | David FLORENCE/Richard HOUNSLOW | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | POL | Piotr SZCZEPANSKI/Marcin POCHWALA | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | SVK | Pavol HOCHSCHORNER/Peter HOCHSCHORNER | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | RUS | Mikhail KUZNETSOV/Dmitry LARIONOV | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | CZE | Ondrej KARLOVSKY/Jakub JANE | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | Asia | Continental Qualifier | 2 | 1 |
| 10 | Europe | Continental Qualifier | 2 | 1 |
| 11 | USA | Devin MCEWAN/Casey EICHFELD | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | BRA | Host Nation | 2 | 1 |
| Total NOC Boat Quota places reserved after K1W, C2M, ICF 2015 World Championship, London, GBR | ||||
| NOC | K1M | K1W | C1M | C2M |
| AUS | 1 | 1 | ||
| AUT | 1 | 1 | ||
| AZE | 1 | |||
| BRA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| CAN* | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| CHN | 1 | |||
| COK | 1 | 1 | ||
| CZE | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| ESP | 1 | |||
| FRA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| GBR | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| GER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| ITA | 1 | 1 | ||
| JPN | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| NZL | 1 | 1 | ||
| POL | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| RUS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| SLO | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| SVK | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| USA | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
*Required to return a quota place
