Key dates in history of Kayak Cross
From appearing as an invitational event in 2015 to featuring on the Olympic stage in 2024, kayak cross has experienced a sensational rise to the top of the sport.
Here’s a breakdown of the key dates in the history of kayak cross:
August 2015 – Initially known as boater cross or slalom cross, the event is demonstrated for the first time at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Pau, France with athletes invited to participate.
June 2016 – Ivrea, Italy is the host of the first ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup featuring slalom cross as a medal event. Czech Vavrinec Hradilek and Slovenian Ajda Novak are the first World Cup gold medal winners in slalom cross.
September 2017 – Extreme slalom features for the first time at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Pau, France. The first world champions in the event are Czech Vavrinec Hradilek and German Caroline Trompeter.
September 2018 – The Rio 2016 Olympic course is the venue for the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships where home favourite Ana Satila triumphs in extreme slalom along with Italy’s Christian De Dionigi.
November 2020 – The ICF Board of Directors vote to recommend two extreme slalom events to the International Olympic Committee for inclusion at the Paris 2024 Olympics along with 10 Canoe Sprint events and four Canoe Slalom events.
December 2020 – The IOC confirms the programme for Paris 2024, accepting the ICF’s recommendation to add women’s and men’s kayak cross.
September 2021 – Australia’s Jessica Fox and Great Britain’s Joseph Clarke capture the respective women’s and men’s extreme slalom world titles for the first time.
July 2022 – There is no change to the top of the podium at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Augsburg, Germany as Australia’s Jessica Fox and Great Britain’s Joseph Clarke emerge victorious in extreme slalom again.
September 2022 – The ICF Board of Directors agrees that extreme slalom will be renamed kayak cross.
September 2023 – Joseph Clarke wins a third successive men’s kayak cross world title in London, Great Britain, with fellow British paddler Kimberley Woods sealing the women’s kayak cross crown.
June 2024 – The first global kayak cross Olympic qualification event is held in Prague, Czechia where the final six quotas are determined.
June 2024 – Australia’s Jessica Fox makes history by becoming the first paddler to win the kayak, canoe and kayak cross titles at a single ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup courtesy of her golden hat-trick in Krakow, Poland.
August 2024 – Kayak cross makes its debut at the Olympic Games in Paris, France.
