At the Pan American Sports Organization's 2013 general assembly in Jamaica, canoe slalom competitions were added to the program. This was the first time slalom was staged at the Pan American Games. Furthermore, women also competed in canoe races for the first time ever in both disciplines.[6]
The winners of the five canoe slalom competitions (besides the C-1 women event, which is not an Olympic event) qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. If Brazil, the host nation of the Olympics, won any events, the runner up qualified instead.[7]
Competition schedule
The following is the competition schedule for the canoeing competitions:[8]
A quota of 160 canoers (40 slalom and 120 sprint) will be allowed to qualify. A maximum of fifteen athletes can compete for a nation in sprint, while a maximum of six can compete in slalom.[27][28]