Slalom History With US Team highlights

(Corrections, Additions welcome!)     

·       1920s.  International competition in whitewater begins as downriver races, after several decades of river running and rafting come first.

 ·       1921, first German foldboat downriver race on Isar river.

 ·       1924, predecessor of ICF founded.  It lasts until 1942 and is replaced by the ICF after WWII is over.

 ·       1932, first slalom race held, on Lake Hallwyl, Switzerland.   This was a club event, designed test flatwater kayakers’ ability to control their boats.

 ·       1933, first whitewater slalom race, held on Aar river (class II-III water), near Ruperswiler, Switzerland.

 ·       1934, first national championships (Switzerland) in whitewater slalom, again on the Aar.

 ·       1936, Berlin Olympics.  Flatwater canoeing and kayaking in Olympics for first time.  Been in ever since.

 ·       1936, first international whitewater slalom race, held in Zwickau, Germany.  Later that year, other international slaloms held in Austria and Switzerland.

 ·       1947, first European Championships (some even called it a World Championships), held in Switzerland, but not recognized by the ICF.

 ·       1949, first ICF-recognized World Championships, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

 ·       1957, World Championships in Augsburg, West Germany. US enters event for first time.

 ·       1949-2001  World Championships held every odd-numbered year.  2001-present, World Championships held every year.

 ·       1972, slalom first contested in Olympic Games, in Augsburg, West Germany.  East Germany wins all 4 golds.  USA’s Jamie McEwan wins bronze medal, first ever American medal in one of the 4 Olympic classes (C1, C2, K1, or K1W).

 ·       1975, World Championships in Skopje, Yugoslavia.  USA’s Chuck Lyda and Marietta Gillman win in C2M.  They win again in 1977.

 ·       1979, first World Championships held in North America, at Jonquiere, Canada.  US team dominates for first time, sweeping all 3 C1 medals (Jon Lugbill, Davey Hearn, Bob Robison), and taking first (Cathy Hearn) and third (Linda Harrison) in the K1W.

 ·       1979-1989.  Jon Lugbill wins a total of 5 times in individual competition (1979, ’81,’83, ‘87, and ’89) (and finishes 2nd once in ‘85) and an additional 7 times in team racing, for the most golds of all time,12.  (Lugbill also won World Cup 3 times.) David Hearn finishes 2nd 5 times  (to Lugbill), also a record and, 1st once (in 1985, when Lugbill was 2nd).  Hearn also wins again, 10 years later.

 ·       1981, World Championships in Bala, Wales, USA’s Steve and Mike Garvis win gold medal in C2 with teammates Paul Grabow and Jef Huey taking bronze.  Cathy Hearn wins silver.  Boo Hayman and Fritz Haller win gold in C2M, the last year the event is contested in World Championships.

 ·       1983, World Championships in Merano, Italy. USA’s Fritz and Lecky Haller win gold medal in C2.

 ·       1986, USA’s Jed Prentice wins first Junior World Championships ever held,  in C1.

 ·       1987, World Championships in Bourg St. Maurice, France.  USA’s Bruce Lessels wins bronze medal in C1 (behind Lugbill and Hearn). McEwan-Haller win silver medal in C2.

 ·       1988, first World Cup held.  US team wins 3 out of 4 overall titles (C1: Jon Lugbill; C2: Jamie McEwan-Lecky Haller; K1W: Dana Chladek.)

 ·       1988, USA’s Scott Shipley wins Junior World Championships.

 ·       1989, first World Championships held in the USA. USA’s Dana Chladek gets silver medal and Cathy Hearn bronze medal, both in K1W.

 ·       1991, World Championships in Tacen, Yugoslavia. USA’s Adam Clawson wins silver medal in C1.  Dana Chladek wins silver medal in K1W.

 ·       1992, slalom reintroduced into Olympic Games at La Seu D’Urgell. USA’s Scott Strausbaugh and Joe Jocobi win gold medal in C2.  Dana Chladek wins bronze in K1W.  McEwan-Haller and Lugbill finish 4th.

 ·       1993, World Championships in Mezzana, Italy. USA’s Ritchie Wess wins silver medal.

 ·       1993, World Cup, Scott Shipley wins World Cup overall, for the first of 3 wins (1993, ’95, ’97).

 ·       1995,  World Championships in Nottingham, England, Davey Hearn wins gold again, 10 years after first time.

 ·       1995, Scott Shipley wins silver medal at World Championships, first of 3 times (’93, ’96, and ’99).

 ·       1996, slalom part of Atlanta Olympics.  Dana Chladek narrowly misses the gold medal, finishing 2nd.

 ·       1997, World Championships in Tres Coroas, Brazil, Cathy Hearn gets bronze medal in K1W.

 ·       2000, slalom part of Sydney Olympics, but US team wins no medals.

 ·       2001, World Championships scheduled for Ocoee River in USA, but cancelled because of 9/11, only time a Worlds has been cancelled.

·       2004, slalom part of Athens Olympics, Rebecca Giddens wins silver medal. 

·       2008, slalom part of Beijing Olympics, but US wins no medals.

US Team International results:  These US Team results are culled from the fabulous Flechtner site; check Flechtner out for full results, results by athlete, etc.

World Championships 1961—1999

World Championships 2000 on

World Cup

Combined (not yet posted, work in progress)