RIO DE JANEIRO - Luka BOZIC (SLO) and Saso TALJAT (SLO) hope to give Slovenia its first gold medal in canoe slalom by winning the canoe double (C2) men's event, which starts on Monday 8 August at Whitewater Stadium.
BOZIC and TALJAT became world champions in men's C2 in 2014 and finished second at the 2016 European championships.
Coming into the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Andraz VEHOVAR (SLO) is the only athlete representing Slovenia to claim an Olympic medal in canoe slalom as he took home silver in men's K1 at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.
Franz ANTON (GER) and Jan BENZIEN (GER) are the reigning world champions in the men's C2 and hope to become the first gold medallists in this event representing Germany.
Germany's last medal in this event came in 2004, when Stefan HENZE (GER) and Marcus BECKER (GER) claimed the silver medal. They also were world champions coming into the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
The only athletes to have won the men's canoe double (C2) event at the Olympic Games as reigning world champions are Pavol HOCHSCHORNER (SVK) and Peter HOCHSCHORNER (SVK), who did so at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Twin brothers HOCHSCHORNER have won a record three gold medals and four total medals in canoe slalom (men's C2 in 2000, 2004, 2008), but will not be competing in Rio.
Slovakia will be represented by cousins Ladislav SKANTAR (SVK) and Peter SKANTAR (SVK). They have claimed seven medals at European championships (G3-S1-B3) and four at world championships (S1-B3), but will make their debut at the Olympic Games.
David FLORENCE (GBR) and Richard HOUNSLOW (GBR) will aim to follow up their silver medal in this event in London with a gold one in Rio.
Their compatriots Timothy BAILLIE (GBR) and Etienne STOTT (GBR) won the gold medal in London. No NOC has had consecutive wins in the canoe double (C2) men's event with two different pairs.
FLORENCE will also compete in the canoe single (C1) event. He could become the first athlete to claim multiple canoe slalom medals at a single Olympic Games.
FLORENCE tried to do this in London 2012, but only finished in 10th place in the C1 event.
He already is the only athlete with canoe slalom medals in two different disciplines, as he grabbed silver in the men's C1 in 2008.
Jessica FOX (AUS) hopes to become the first athlete representing Australia to win a gold medal in canoe slalom. She will compete in the kayak (K1) women's event, which starts on Monday 8 August at Whitewater Stadium.
FOX won the world title in 2014 and took silver in this event at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
FOX could become the first non-European athlete to win gold in an individual canoe slalom event. Joe JACOBI (USA) and Scott STRAUSBAUGH (USA) are the only non-Europeans to have won a canoe slalom gold medal, in the men's C2 at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games.
FOX is also three-times world champion in canoe single (C1) women (2013, 2014, 2015), an event that is not held at the Olympic Games.
Both of FOX's parents, Richard FOX (GBR) and Myriam FOX-JERUSALMI (FRA), also competed at the Olympic Games in kayak events with mother FOX-JERUSALMI claiming bronze in the women's K1 at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.
Only France (4) has claimed more medals in this event at the Olympic Games than Australia (3).
Marie-Zelia LAFONT (FRA) won the most recent world cup event in kayak (K1) women, in Pau on 19 June 2016.
Australian athletes have never won gold: FOX (2012), Jacqueline LAWRENCE (AUS) at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Danielle WOODWARD (AUS) at the Barceloa 1992 Olympic Games all grabbed the silver medal.
In all four canoe slalom events combined at the Olympic Games, no NOC has collected more medals without winning a single gold than Australia (S3-B1).
Stepanka HILGERTOVA (CZE) with two gold, Elena KALISKA (SVK) with two gold and Dana CHLADEK (USA) with one silver and a bronze, are the only athletes to have won multiple medals in the women's K1 at the Olympic Games. They could be joined by FOX and Maialen CHOURRAUT (ESP), who took bronze at London 2012.
Katerina KUDEJOVA (CZE) hopes to step in HILGERTOVA's footsteps by winning the women's K1 at Rio 2016. She already won this event at the 2015 world championships in London.
HILGERTOVA was the last athlete to win the gold medal in K1 women as reigning world champion. She did so at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
