The men's K-2 1000 metres sprint canoeing event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 4 and 5 August 2021 at the Sea Forest Waterway.[1] At least 20 canoeists (10 boats of 2) from at least 10 nations competed.[2]
Background
This was the 20th appearance of the event, one of four events that have been held at every Summer Olympics since the introduction of canoeing in 1936.
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could qualify one place in the event, though could enter up to 2 boats if it earned enough quota places through other men's kayak events. A total of 13 qualification places were available, initially allocated as follows:
3 places awarded to 3 continents (excluding Europe) through the World Championships, which are then competed for at continental tournaments
1 place awarded through a European continental tournament
Qualifying places were awarded to the NOC, not to the individual canoeist who earned the place.[2]
The three continental spots were awarded to the Americas (#14 Canada), Oceania (#15 New Zealand), and Asia (#21 Japan); Africa had the lowest next-ranked team (#24 South Africa). The continental tournaments were won by Canada (via World Championship rather than continental tournament, which was cancelled), China, Hungary, and New Zealand. The World Championships places were allocated as follows:[4]
Nations with women's kayak quota spots from the K-1 200 metres, K-1 500 metres, or K-4 500 metres could enter (additional) boats as well.
Competition format
Sprint canoeing uses a four-round format for events with at least 11 boats, with heats, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. The specifics of the progression format depend on the number of boats ultimately entered.[5]
The course is a flatwater course 9 metres wide. The name of the event describes the particular format within sprint canoeing. The "K" format means a kayak, with the canoeist sitting, using a double-bladed paddle to paddle, and steering with a foot-operated rudder (as opposed to a canoe, with a kneeling canoeist, single-bladed paddle, and no rudder). The "2" is the number of canoeists in each boat. The "1000 metres" is the distance of each race.[6]
Schedule
The event was held over two consecutive days, with two rounds per day. All sessions started at 9:30 a.m. local time, though there are multiple events with races in each session.[1]
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