Myths & Facts - JustCanoeIt!

MYTHS AND FACTS REGARDING

WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN OLYMPIC-STYLE CANOEING

(Similar issues with Women's Ski Jumping )

MYTH: There are not enough women canoeing for it to be included in the Olympics.

FACT: Currently, there are approximately women from about 36 countries across all five continents around the world paddling in sprint canoe, and about 25 countries in slalom, at various stages of development, from international elite, to National or local/club level. We estimate 400 paddlers between both disciplines and in all age categories. Approximately 14 countries have included women’s canoe as official or exhibition events at their National Championships.

"If women's canoe were an Olympic event, you'd see a lot of other countries jump on board," says Jeff Houser, Atlantic Regional High Performance coach for Canoe Kayak Canada . " But with so many countries tied to their Olympic funding in terms of what they can do in development, they just can't afford to add [women’s] canoe."

Once the International Canoe Federation and CanoeKayak Canada announced a Pre-Worlds Development Camp for women’s canoe in 2009 – funded by the ICF and Canoe ’09 and announced exhibition events for women at the 2009 World Championships, we saw an exponential increase in the number of countries indicating interest and/or starting women’s canoe programs to train for the World Championships. And in 2010, when the C1 200 meter event in sprint and the C1 event in slalom were made official at the World Championships and World Cups, participation levels doubled.

MYTH: Women in canoe have not competed in enough high level/international competitions.

FACT: Women’s Canoe was held as exhibition in the 2003 World Championships and was included again as exhibition at the 2009 World Championships. Eleven countries were represented at the 2009 Worlds, from 4 continents (all except Africa). Six countries, and 16 canoeists and one coach participated in the 2009 Pre-Worlds Women’s Canoe Development Camp. Ten countries and 15-17 athletes participated in the sprint and slalom development camps, respectively, in 2010. The Pan American Championships has included women’s canoe since 2001 as exhibition, and, in 2009, womens canoe was a full medal event, earning points for their respective countries. In 2001, World Cup #1 (held in Gainesville, Georgia, USA) included women’s canoe as exhibition. The Lake Placid International Canoe Sprint Regatta (New York, USA) has featured highly competitive women’s canoe races in all categories C1, C2, and C4, and had heats in the C1 events.

The 2008 Canoe Slalom Pre-Worlds event in Le Seu, Spain included C1W as exhibition for the first time ever. C1W was included as exhibition at the 2009 Senior Canoe Slalom World Championships. Additionally, in 2009, all three World Cups included C1W as full medal events and the ICF included C1W in the official ICF Rankings. C1W and the C1 Team events were made official in the 2010 Canoe Slalom World Championships/Word Cup programs.

MYTH: The quality of competition and womens skill level is not high enough to warrant inclusion.

FACT: The quality of competition across more countries continues to escalate exponentially with increases in the # of events - and in spite of little to no support from National Federations (many who can fund only Olympic programs with their Government funding). In sprint, Canada still leads the world in international competition at the Senior level with women reaching 2:00 in the C2 500 event and close to going under :48 in the C1 200. However, at the Junior level, more South American and European countries are demonstrating high levels of performance, with more crews going under 2:15 for C2 500 and in the low :50's for C1 200. In 2008, Canada was beaten for the first time ever in international competition: Ecuador won the C1 200 Junior event. In 2010, Ecuador upset Canada again in the Junior C2 500. Canada edged out China in the C1 200 in the 2010 Senior World Championships, one of the closest finishes ever. In slalom, the Oceanias and Europe still lead the way at the World level, with Asia and the Americas close behind. Africa continues to develop it’s female sprint canoeists, with Senegal leading the way.

The "quality" criteria has yet to be articulated clearly or definitively but our data shows continuing progress and improvement DESPITE not having the same "environment for success" that our Olympic event counterparts have.

MYTH: There are not enough young girls competing globally.

FACT: We have found there are more teenagers paddling canoe or interested in canoe world-wide, than “adult” paddlers (over 18) - in all canoeing disciplines, at the elite and recreational levels. Additionally, as seen at the 2011 Sprint European Junior Championships and the Lake Placid (New York) International regatta, both the quantity and quality of competition is escalating as opportunities increase. Most countries we are aware of have primarily younger paddlers and many of them must race against the boys/men because of lack of opportunities for racing, coaching and resources. Many times this latter circumstance discourages participation completely.

Additionally, many young talented women, including previous international and national champions, leave the sport because of the lack of higher/greater opportunities, further diluting the talent pool.

MYTH: T he addition of women’s canoe to the Olympic program will dilute the talent pool of female kayakers.

FACT: T his notion lacks understanding of the fundamental differences between canoe and kayak and why an athlete would choose one over the other (balance orientation, steering, usage of different muscle groups, etc.). Canoes and kayaks and the associated paddles are also very different pieces of equipment, each requiring their own special set of skills to master.

It also suggests that kayak, which was introduced at Worlds and the Olympics at the same time as canoe, has a more 'worthy' talent pool to protect. when in fact it could be said that the reverse is true. Kayak could just as easily be diluting the pool of athletes who would eagerly choose canoe if there were equal opportunities for them to participate, race and advance. The presence of men's canoe with kayak in the Olympic program (since the exhibition events in 1924) did not dilute the talent pool for men's kayak.

MYTH: Women only recently started paddling canoes – Olympic style .

FACT: Paddling in canoes has been a method of transportation, a means of gathering food, recreational outlet, and a part of survival for women and their families for centuries. Our Aboriginal ancestors are primary examples of this . We have documentation of women doing “high kneel” flatwater canoeing dating back to 1918 (Washington Canoe Club), and women have been paddling in slalom canoes in whitewater since the 1950’s. During the 1970's, Slalom World Cups included the Mixed C2 event for several years.

The first documented Canadian Women's War Canoe race was c. 1948. Currently, any of the 4 age categories of War Canoe at Canadian National Championships can have up to 126 women on the line at the same time for a high intensity, high kneel race and it has been this way for almost half a century.

MYTH: Because of the unilateral development resulting from Olympic style canoeing, women’s bodies (e.g., reproductive organs) would be damaged, potentially causing infertility, stunting feminine d evelopment, or causing lopsided development.

FACT: The following statement was approved by the IOC Medical Commission, April 2011:
“No female athlete should be denied the opportunity to participate in any Olympic sport on the basis that she might sustain an injury to her reproductive organs. A survey of injury data has failed to find any evidence of an increased risk for acute or chronic damage to the female reproductive organs occurring as a direct result from participation in sport.”

This means the use of this myth should not be tolerated, as they are used to intimidate or harass budding canoeists, and scare parents, family and friends. There is no medical evidence to support this myth. This argument has been used for over a century in attempts to restrict and/or limit women’s participation in most Olympic disciplines. Dr. Don McKenzie, Chairman of the ICF Medical and Anti-Doping

Committee, has publicly dispelled this myth and has encouraged National Federations to communicate this information to all athletes, coaches, parents, etc.

Unfortunately, these false statements continue to be made by coaches around the world, scaring parents and youth away from this sport. For more information about this issue, please contact WomenCAN Int'l at pam@justcanoeit.com or WomenSport International. www.sportsbiz.bz/womensportinternational/about/contact_us.htm

Committee, has publicly dispelled this myth and has encouraged National Federations to communicate this information to all athletes, coaches, parents, etc.