Innovation is at the heart of the 2024 International Canoe Federation Hangzhou Super Cup.
As Charles Darwin said: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
This insight from the father of evolution can also be applied to ideas in a changing environment, especially in sports.
The key is to adapt to the ever-changing conditions and challenge yourself, and that was the thinking behind the Canoe Slalom Committee's introduction of short slalom at the Super Cup.
Set to be implemented for the first time in an official ICF event, it is, as the name suggests, a shorter version of the classic or Olympic slalom competition.
The course will be set in the middle of the classic or Olympic course, with 12 gates, four of which will be upstream, compared to the 21 gates and six upstream in the former.
The gates, however, will be moved slightly to make it unpredictable for the athletes following the classic slalom competition on Friday.
Technically, it is expected to be more difficult, and with no training allowed before, it will be explosive, and a surprise element is guaranteed for all competitors.
ICF Canoe Slalom Committee Chair Jean-Michel Prono said: “We are always trying to reinvent ourselves.
“We understood that the competition in Hangzhou will be a unique opportunity for the Canoe Slalom Committee to test a new competition format and, for instance, to test an official training format on the proper competition course design before the qualification heats.
“The idea is to promote or propose a shorter slalom format, evolved from classic or Olympic slalom competition course.
“This will be a test for the athletes, and we hope to get their feedback on how to make it more challenging for them.”
All athletes competing in the classic slalom on Friday will also race in the short slalom on Saturday.
You can find the schedule for short slalom here.
Full coverage of this week's ICF Hangzhou Super Cup featuring Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, Canoe Marathon and Canoe Polo can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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