Beijing Olympics 2008

Model of slalom and regatta courses in Shunyi

Much has been heard about the Olympics in recent months and when this summer’s Olympics close, the talk will not fade as we will be gearing ourselves up for London 2012. But for the athletes the 2008 Olympics have been very much in their mind, lives and training schedules for many years. Training programmes have been set around being in top condition for the selection events and then the Olympics itself. All those frosty and dark winter mornings when most of us just turn over in bed, our athletes have been out training and preparing themselves for this summer. For many of us the only way we are going to be able to support them is from home, so here is a guide to where and when the competitions are happening.

Team GB
Every two years the team represents Great Britain in the summer or winter Olympic Games. The team is selected by the British Olympic Association, in conjunction with the governing bodies, from the best sportsmen and women to compete in 28 summer and seven winter Olympic sports at the greatest sporting event in the world.

The sportsmen and women who are selected to participate for GB at the Olympic Games become members of the Great Britain Olympic Team: Team GB. There is not an Olympic swimming team or Olympic rowing team. The individual sports join to become Team GB, the Great Britain Olympic Team.

All of Team GB will have our support but this particular article is about our slalom and flat water athletes (and coaches) who we wish the very best.

Flatwater Racing/Canoe/Kayak Slalom
Both of the canoeing disciplines will take place at the new Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Park.

Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park
Location: Mapo Village, Shunyi District, Beijing
Floor area (sq m): 31,850
Permanent seats: 1,200
Temporary seats: 25,800 (10,000 for standing seats)

Dates for competition
Canoe/kayak – flat water
18-23rd August 2008
Finals: 22-23rd August
Canoe/kayak – slalom
11-14th August 2008
Finals: 12th and 14th August

How hard is it to get to the Olympic Games as a canoeist?

The answer is simply – hard. Not only do you have to be excellent in your chosen area of sport, but you also have to obtain the small number of places available to each class. The numbers of places are allocated according to continents. As a team we have often had to leave many excellent athletes behind as we have filled our quota! Olympic Games – canoeing athlete quotas Compared to the quotas in 1992 and 1996 there has been a significant reduction. This reduction was mainly brought about by the removal of slalom from the Sydney Olympic Games and the allocation of the slalom athlete places to another sport. However, after much lobbying, slalom was reintroduced into the Olympic programme; this was only agreed on the basis that the slalom athlete numbers came from the flat water quotas. Canoeing lost 150 athlete places and flat water was reduced by 82 to give slalom a ‘reasonable’ number of competitors. The ratio of men to women is quite different because women do not compete in the canoe classes and only race over 500m in Flatwater. In slalom there are four events, as follows: MK1 21 Boats WK1 21 Boats C1 16 Boats C2 12 Boats Unfortunately, the numbers of athletes have reduced since 1996 and now only one boat in each of these four slalom events can qualify. For GB this is very harsh as there are a number of athletes who have achieved top ten places at World Championships who will not be able to compete at the Olympic Games due to the quota restrictions. In flatwater racing there are 12 events as follows: Men Kayak - 5 Events Women Kayak - 3 Events MK1 500M 14 Boats WK1 500M 10 Boats MK1 1000M 14 Boats WK2 500M 10 Boats MK2 500M 10 Boats WK4 500M 14 Boats MK2 1000M 10 Boats MK4 1000M 10 Boats Men Canoe - 4 Events MC1 500M 12 Boats MC1 1000M 12 Boats MC2 500M 10 Boats MC2 1000M 10 Boats In flat water racing, due to the restriction placed on the total number of athletes and the IOC’s (International Olympic Committee) desire to ensure global participation, (universality ie giving continental places to athletes who are not necessarily the world’s best) it is very difficult to qualify athletes for the Games. In athletics, swimming and rowing, the athlete quotas are significantly higher than canoeing. In canoeing there are 16 medal events in the Olympic programme. Rowing only have 14 medal events but they have significantly more places, rowing contests their 14 medals with 480 athletes. So we wish the canoeists all the best in their quest for Olympic medals. They deserve their places and have worked for years to achieve them.

Check the television schedules for when the canoeing events will be actually aired. The BBC will have thousands of hours of coverage, so we will be able to see all of the action.

The Beijing Olympic symbol
Every emblem of the Olympics tells a story. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games emblem ‘Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing’ and is said to be filled with Beijing’s hospitality and hopes and carries the city’s commitment to the world.

Olympic mascots
All of the Olympics have mascots and not all are easily recognisable or understood so to help you out – the colour of the five mascots comes from the Olympic rings.

‘Fuwa’ will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship, peace and good wishes from China to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China’s most popular animals; the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow and the Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name, a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

When you put their names together; ‘Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni’, they say “Welcome to Beijing” offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature; the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky, all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

Team GB members
The Slalom athletes going to Beijing were announced by the British Canoe Union and the British Olympic Association on 21st May and the team consists of:
Campbell Walsh (Men’s K1), Fiona Pennie (Women’s K1) and David Florence (Men’s C1).

The flat water racing Team GB athletes, have not yet been announced, but will be at the end of June. It is clear however, that Tim Brabants and Lucy Wainwight will be nominated to the BOA to be part of Team GB.

In August, there will be a full low down on the Team GB members.