How to Be an Olympic Canoeist

Making the Olympic canoeing team is extremely difficult. There are very few spots allowed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and many athletes who wish to make the team. Women do not have canoeing events in the Olympics, but do have kayaking events. If you want to compete as an Olympic canoe racer, follow these steps and hope for the best.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Assess your skill level. Being the best of the best is a quality all of the Olympic team canoeists share. Make sure that qualifying for the Olympics is an attainable goal.

2. Decide on singles or doubles. Just as the name suggests, single canoeing involves one canoeist, and double is a race with two. Both are difficult in their own right.

3. Determine what event to participate in. There are both slalom and flatwater races. The flatwater races consist of both 500m and 1000m races.

4. Find a coach. A good coach has an in-depth understanding of the sport, a successful track record with his athletes, and the desire to win. Find a coach that has the ability to motivate and challenge you.

5. Enroll in canoeist training camps. Training camps are led by the top coaches in the sport. This gives the canoeist the chance to get top coaching advice and get their name recognized by the best coaches.

6. Try out for a spot on the Olympic team. The Olympic trials for canoeing are highly competitive. There are many who try out and end up disappointed. You must be a top-notch canoeist at the trials in order to make the cut.

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