Preview European Olympic Qualifier Canoe Sprint (Women)

ICFmedia

13 Maig 2016

Three women’s events will provide six boat quota places and eight athletes the chance of competing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games next week as the European Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifiers are raced from the 18-19th May in Duisburg, Germany.

This is the second and final opportunity to qualify for a spot on the startline in Rio and is expected to provide some enthralling racing across the three events – K1W 200m, 500m and K2W 500m.

K1W 200m

Inna Klinova (KAZ) won this event at the 2012 Olympic qualifying event representing Ukraine, but she did not compete for Ukraine in this event at the London 2012 Olympic Games as Inna Osypenko-Radomska (UKR) competed instead and won silver.

Klinova has since switched to represent Kazakhstan and finished eighth at the 2015 World Championships.

Ukraine has no athletes entered and has not qualified for Rio 2016 Olympic Games in this event.

In 2012, Norma Murabito (ITA) took the second qualifying spot in this event, but then failed to progress from the heats at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Murabito will now try to qualify for Rio in this event.

At the Olympic Games in 2012 seven of the eight spots were taken up by European boats, but the only non-European boat, from New Zealand, won the gold medal.
Of the European boats in that 2012 final, Great Britain (7th) and Portugal (8th) will try to qualify for Rio in Duisburg.

K1W 500m

In 2012, Yulia Kachalova (RUS) and Mira Veraas Larsen (NOR) took first and second place in the Olympic Qualifying race. Kachalova did not compete in K1W 500m at the London 2012 Olympic Games, but had a spot in Russia's K4 500m boat at the London Games.

Yuliana Salakhova competed in K1W 500m for Russia in London, but failed to progress from the semifinals, as did Mira Veraas Larsen.

Of the European boats in the London 2012 final, Ukraine (silver in 2012), Sweden (4th) and Italy (5th), will try to qualify for Rio.

Italy has collected four medals in this event at the Games. Only Soviet Union (8) and Hungary (6) have won more.
 
K2W 500m

Sweden won the ticket for the London Games in this event at the 2012 European Qualification tournament and made it to the semifinals at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Sweden aim to repeat that achievement this year as they try to qualify for Rio in this event in Duisburg.

Sweden has won two gold medals in this event at the Games, one behind Germany (3) and Soviet Union (3) who have most.

Sofia Paldanius (SWE) aims to qualify for her fourth Olympic Games.

Austria and Portugal competed in the London 2012 final but have yet to qualify for Rio.

Turkey has never before competed in any canoe - sprint event at the Olympic Games.

Spain last competed in this event at the Games in 2008. Their best result was the fifth place in 2004.

Belgium only competed in this event at the Games in 1984, finishing ninth.