Teenagers from more than 30 nations all over the world have been invited to compete in the canoeing competition at this year’s Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Nine countries are set to make their Youth Olympic Games debut in canoeing, including Tunisia, Mozambique, Iran and Chile.
Others to earn quotas for the first time are Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Nigeria and Mauritius. Host nation Argentina will also be making its first appearance.
In total 64 athletes will compete in Buenos Aires, with competitors earning quotas for their countries at last week’s YOG selection trials in Barcelona. A record 250 boats from more than 60 nations took part in the hotly-contested qualifiers.
The competitors took part in both a canoe sprint and a canoe slalom obstacle race, with the results of both races combined to determine which countries earned quotas. There were quota positions available for every continent, with a limit of one athlete per event per country.
Only three countries earned quotas in all four events. Hungary, Mexico and Kazakhstan will be invited to send athletes in the men’s and women’s K1 and C1 competitions.
Four of the countries which won gold at the 2014 Youth Olympics – Belarus (2 gold), Moldova, Russia and Austria – were not able to qualify any athletes for this year’s Youth Olympics, underlining the continued growth of the sport worldwide.
Some of the biggest names in world canoeing began their international careers at the Youth Olympic Games, including Jessica Fox, Tom Liebscher, Jiri Prskavec and Jakub Grigar.
The 2018 Youth Olympic Games will be held from October 6-18.
Nation | Continent | K1M | K1W | C1M | C1W | Total |
ARG | America | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
AUS | Oceania | 1 | 1 | |||
BEL | Europe | 1 | 1 | |||
BRA | America | 1 | 1 | |||
CHI | America | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
CHN | Asia | 1 | 1 | |||
CZE | Europe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
ESP | Europe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
FRA | Europe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
GER | Europe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
HUN | Europe | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
IRI | Asia | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
ITA | Europe | 1 | 1 | |||
KAZ | Asia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
MEX | America | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
MOZ | Africa | 1 | 1 | |||
MRI | Africa | 1 | 1 | |||
NGR | Africa | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
NZL | Oceania | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
POL | Europe | 1 | 1 | |||
POR | Europe | 1 | 1 | |||
RSA | Africa | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
SLO | Europe | 1 | 1 | |||
STP | Africa | 1 | 1 | |||
SVK | Europe | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
THA | Asia | 1 | 1 | |||
TPE | Asia | 1 | 1 | |||
TUN | Africa | 1 | 1 | |||
UKR | Europe | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
USA | America | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
UZB | Asia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
