How is the United States Whitewater Slalom Olympic Team Chosen?
1) How many slalom events are held in the Olympic Games?
There will be four events: C-1, C-2, K-1 and K-1 Women.
2) How can athletes qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials?
Athletes can qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in three ways. First, they can automatically qualify through the 1995 USCKT National Slalom rankings. All Division"A"ranked boats (top 11 percent of registered athletes) will be limited to the Olympic Team Trials. Second, the top four K1s, the top three C-1s, the top three K-lWs, and the top two C-2s from each of four Olympic Trials Regional Qualifying Races (North, South, East and West) will be invited. An athlete also can petition the National Slalom and Wildwater Committee INSWC} Team Support Committee for inclusion in the Olympic Trials if he)she missed the qualifying events due to injury, equipment failure or other extenuating circumstances.
3) Can any athlete attempt to qualify for the Olympic Trials?
All athletes who are eligible to represent the United States in the 1996 Olympic Games and are USCKT members are eligible to participate in the qualifying events for the 1996 Olympic Slalom Canoe and Kayak Team Trials.
4) What if an athlete qualifies for the Trials in more than one qualifying race?
All boats previously qualified for the Olympic Trials are excluded when determining placement at subsequent qualifying races. Therefore, if one K-1 athlete wins the first qualifying race, then wins the second, that athlete is passed over in the results of the second race, and the second- through fifth-place finishers would qualify from that race.
5) When and where are the Olympic Team Trials for slalom?
The U.S. Olympic Team Trials are scheduled for May 17-19, 1996, on the Ocoee River in Tennessee, the site for the 1996 Olympic competition in July.
6) How many athletes will compete in the Olympic Trials?
Since the number of Division"A"ranked athletes cannot be determined until the 1995 rankings are complete, we can only offer a best-guess estimate at this time. Based on the 1995 rankings, we can expect approximately 130 athletes qualifying approximately 110 boats for the Olympic Trials.
7) How are members of the Olympic Team chosen at the trials?
There will be two separate races held on two consecutive days at the Olympic Trials. The winner of the first day of racing shall be the first ranked boat, while the winner on the second day of racing shall be the second ranked boat. Excluding the top ranked boats, the third ranked boat shall be the boat with the highest place in the first day’s race, while the fourth ranked boat shall be the highest place in the second day of Trials competition. This process applies to each of the four classes of the slalom discipline. Subsequent ranking of results will be determined based on the best combined scores from both days of racing. Alternates for the Olympic Team will be determined by these rankings, with the highest ranked boat not already on the team being the first alternate, etc. The actual number of athletes who will be on the U.S. Olympic Team could be anywhere from zero to fifteen, depending on how many starting positions the U.S. earns at the 1995 World Championships and the second qualifying event, to be held at the Olympic Venue on the Ocoee River April 19-21,1996.
8) So the athletes who qualify at the Trials will represent the United States at the Olympic Games in the event for which they qualified at the Trials?
Yes. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, such as injury, these athletes wit represent the United States at the a 1996 Olympic Games. There is also one more step in the process. The list of athletes will be submitted to the United States Olympic Committee’s International Games Preparation Committee for review and acceptance. This is pretty much a rubber-stamp endorsement of the athletes submitted by USCKT. However, the team does not receive the official title of Olympic Team until it is endorsed by the International Games Preparation Committee.
9) Can the same athlete compete in more than one slalom event in the Olympics?
No. An athlete may compete in only one event in the Olympic Games. If, after completion of the final Olympic Trials, an athlete is ranked in two classes, the athlete must indicate to the Olympic Team Leader in which event he/she will compete at the Olympic Games within one hour of the posting of the results.
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