(19 July 1996)
For the first time in its brief Olympic history, slalom canoe/kayak will be contested at a natural site. The whitewaters of the Ocoee River, located in Polk County, Tennessee will provide the 135 athletes from 20 countries with a challenging and spectacular course.
Over 42,000 specators, beginning first with trial runs on 26 July, are expected to witness four medal events on 27-28 July. The United States will contend for medals in each of the three men's events while Germany has hopes in two men's events and is a front runner in the women's event, along with Great Britain and France.
The natural whitewater slalom course, which measures 415 meters, starts out with 'Smiley Face,' named after a landmark picture painted years ago on a rock. Then it gets tricky.
Among the 25 gates lurks 'Humongous,' a steep rapid named after a character from a Mad Max movie. 'Humongous has flipped canoes and kayaks, making the paddlers do 'Eskimo rolls' to right themselves in the swift currents of the Ocoee.
Located 209 km (130 miles) north of Atlanta, the Ocoee runs through the heart of the lush Cherokee National Forest in southeast Tennessee. The Ocoee Whitewater Center is the only venue outside of Georgia in which medals will be awarded. The 1996 Olympic Games will be the third time slalom canoe/kayak has been included in the Olympic Programme - it was also held in 1972 and 1992.
This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Mike Mead.
| More tickets were sold to the competitions of the 1996 Games than to any other Olympic Games or sports event in history. The 8.6 million ticket sales figures topped sales to the Los Angeles and Barcelona Games combined. |