Canoe slalom is one of the most spectacular watersports, demanding skill, stamina and courage. The aim is to run a rapid river course, marked by "gates" quickly, and without touching.

A "gate" is two poles, suspended over the water. Green and white gates are negotiated in a downstream direction, red and white gates upstream. The gates are placed so that you must make tricky cross-current moves and use the eddies and waves.

This is a sport in which Britain excels. Richard Fox was 5 times World Champion; Lynn Simpson was Ladies World Champion; and Paul Ratcliffe has held the World Cup and took the silver medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. Campbell Walsh won the K1M silver medal and Helen Reeves the K1W bronze at Athens in 2004, and David Florence won the C1 silver medal in Beijing in 2008.

(To be completed...)