Canoeing factbox for Athens 2004

ATHENS, July 7 (Reuters) -- Factbox on canoeing and kayaking at the August 13-29 Athens Olympics:

HISTORY

Canoeing evolved from the Canadian Indian birch-back canoe, and kayaking from the Inuit sealskin kayak. In the 19th century, Scottish lawyer John MacGregor built crafts for European rivers and lakes modelled on the ancient kayak. He founded the Royal Canoe Club in 1866 and organised the first competition in the sport.

There are now many variations of classic canoeing, including freestyle kayaking rodeo, wildwater racing and canoe polo, but only canoe and kayak flatwater racing and canoe and kayak slalom racing are represented at the Olympic Games, where they first featured in 1936.

EVENTS

Men: canoe slalom single and double; 500m canoe single and double; 1,000m canoe single and double; kayak slalom single; 500m kayak single and double; 1,000m kayak single, double and fours.

Women: Kayak slalom single; 500m kayak single, double and fours.

2000 CHAMPIONS

Men

Canoe slalom singles: Tony Estanguet (France)

Canoe slalom doubles: Pavol Hochschorner/Peter Hochschorner

<_TABLE><2>

(Slovakia)

500m canoe singles: Gyorgy Kolonics (Hungary)

500m canoe doubles: Ferenc Novak/Imre Pulai (Hungary)

1,000m canoe singles: Andreas Dittmer (Germany)

1,000m canoe doubles: Florin Popescu/Mitica Pricop (Romania)

Kayak slalom singles: Thomas Schmidt (Germany)

500m kayak singles: Knut Holmann (Norway)

500m kayak doubles: Zoltan Kammerer/Botond Storcz (Hungary)

1,000m kayak singles: Knut Holmann (Norway)

1,000m kayak doubles: Beniamino Bonomi/Antonio Rossi (Italy)

1,000m kayak fours: Hungary (Akos Vereckei, Gabor Horvath,

Zoltan Kammerer, Botond Storcz)

Women

Kayak slalom singles: Stepanka Hilgertova (Czech Republic)

500m kayak singles: Josefa Idem Guerrini (Italy)

500m kayak doubles: Birgit Fischer/Katrin Wagner (Germany)

500m kayak fours: Germany (Birgit Fischer, Manuela Mucke,

Anett Schuck, Katrin Wagner)

OLYMPIC PROGRAMME (FINALS)

August 18: Men's canoe single slalom

Women's kayak single slalom

August 20: Men's canoe double slalom

Men's kayak single slalom

August 27: Men's 1,000 metre kayak single

Men's 1,000 metre kayak double

Men's 1,000 metre fours

Men's 1,000 metre canoe single

Men's 1,000 metre canoe double

Women's 500m kayak fours

August 28: Men's 500 metre kayak single

Men's 500 metre kayak double

Men's 500 metre canoe single

Men's 500 metre canoe double

Women's 500 metre kayak single

Women's 500 metre kayak double

VENUES

Flatwater races: Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing

Centre, near the village of Marathon. It can accommodate 14,000 spectators.

Slalom races: Olympic Canoe Kayak Slalom Centre in the Helliniko Olympic Complex in the south of Athens. It can accommodate 8,000 spectators.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

www.canoeicf.com

Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.