Canoe-kayak slalom: 12 contenders to watch

By Ben Hayward, CBC Sports

Men's kayak — K1

In this event, there are two paddlers that have managed to develop their own unique paddling style which has set them in a class of their own: Peter Kauzer of Slovenia and Jiri Prskavec of the Czech Republic. Each has claimed every major title up for grabs in the sport, pending an Olympic medal.

Jiri Prskavec (CZE): The reigning 2015 world champion will be attending his first Olympics as one of the gold-medal favourites. His unique paddling style can only be classified as the perfection of calculated risk. He takes aggressive lines and pulls off spectacular moves that other top paddlers would not dream of. He has shown one of the strongest attempts to change the game and push the sport to a new level of technical ability. Prskavec trained in Ottawa for three years when his father was coaching the Ontario provincial team.

Peter Kauzer (SLO): Slovenia's Kauzer has perfected an ultra-efficient paddling style from which all other athletes take note. The flawless technique has won him world championship titles in 2009 and 2011. The three-time Olympian had been favoured to win in Beijing and in London but fell short of the podium both times. The world will be watching to see if the third time is the charm for Kauzer or if the Olympics will continue to be his Achilles heel.

Dark horse

Sebastian Combot (FRA): Combot is the world champion from 2007 who is on yet another upwards performance trajectory this season. Combot's strongest asset is his mental composure that he retains in extreme high-pressure situations, most recently demonstrated when he beat top-ranked French athlete and Olympic gold favourite, Boris Neveu, at Olympic Selection by 0.06 seconds in a winner-take-all final. 

Men's canoe — C1

In the men's canoe, there is an impressive list of Olympic medallists and world champions that will be making up the field in Rio. Slovakia's Matej Benus, Great Britain's David Florence, and France's Denis Gargaud Chanut have all shown in the events leading up to the Olympics that they are pulling away from the rest of the field and are sitting on the pinnacle of their careers.

Matej Benus (SVK): In the men's canoe events, Slovakia expects nothing less than gold. The classical smooth paddling style of Beňuš has clinched his country's Olympic nomination, edging out his formidable countrymen, five-time Olympic medallist, Michal Martikán, and current world No. 1 Alexander Slafkovský. The young Slovakian has established himself as the country's newest legendary canoeist which goes hand in hand with becoming a gold-medal favourite.

David Florence (GBR): With two Olympic silvers to his name and the reigning world title, great things are expected from Florence. His characteristic intense, attacking paddling style is extremely hard to replicate due to the extreme level of physical fitness and precision required. This style gives him a unique advantage over other paddlers that do not have the endurance to continuously sprint over a 90-second run. He also approaches races with an analytic composure that works very much to his advantage at high-profile events.

Denis Gargaud Chanut (FRA): The 2011 world champion has some big shoes to fill when it comes to the Olympics. He is attending his first Olympics following the staggering legacy of triple Olympic champion Tony Estanguet. Gargaud Chanut has proved himself up to the task by dominating the French Olympic selection and showing that he is in a class of his own when it comes to technical ability.

Women's kayak — K1

In the women's kayak, all eyes are on Australia's Jessica Fox. She has clinched every world title except Olympic gold and as the reigning silver medallist from London, she has the experience needed to lay down a show-stopping performance. Few athletes are within striking distance of Fox's consistency under pressure.

Jessica Fox (AUS): Fox has established herself as a household name in Australia and is well on her way to becoming the most decorated slalom paddler of all time (taking that record from her father). She won Olympic silver in London at 18 and is back to claim the gold in Rio. Fox will be difficult to beat if she stays mistake free in her race runs. 

Katerina Kudejova (CZE): Heading into Rio as the reigning world champion, Kudějová is confidently approaching this race as one of the few women within striking distance of gold. She trains with Jiří Prskavec, and is part of an elite Czech training group that won two of the five events at the 2015 world championships. Her results have been somewhat hit or miss over the last few years but with a solid run, she will easily contend for the top position.

Men's double canoe — C2

Last chance for glory in this event as it will be phased out of the Olympics after 2016. In an attempt for gender balance in the sport, this event will be replace by women's single canoe in Tokyo 2020. Favourites for the last Olympic gold are Germany, Great Britain and France.

Franz Anton/Jan Benzien (GER): As reigning world champions, Anton and Benzien are well positioned to take home gold. Both with strong careers as single canoeists, the pair play off of each others strengths to create an incredibly balanced boat with a smooth, efficient paddling style. These first-time Olympian's biggest challenge will be composure and the ability to manage pressure at such a high-profile event. 

David Florence/Richard Hounslow (GBR): Florence is the only athlete to be favoured for gold in two events. In 2013 he was the first-ever paddler to win two world championship titles in the same year, one with partner Richard Hounslow. Both of these paddlers had very strong careers developed as individual paddlers and teamed up for the London Olympics. Taking home silver in London, shy of gold by only 0.36 seconds, they know they're sitting in one of the best positions for winning in Rio.

Gauthier Klauss/Matthieu Peche (FRA): Falling just short of their goal of an Olympic podium in London with a fourth place finish, Kauss and Peche are back for redemption. Pioneering one of the most aggressive styles for a double canoe team, the duo is able to pull off some of the most impressive lines usually only seen in the singles classes. At the very least, these two will put on an impressive show in Rio as they lay everything they have on the line.

Dark horse

Ladislav Skantar/Peter Skantar (SVK): The cousins from Slovakia have always stood in the shadow of the legendary Hochschorner twins. Often maintaining a top world ranking right behind their countrymen, the Skantars have often had to settle for second best as the triple Olympic champion Hochschorners set the bar throughout their careers. Finally the Skantars have bested the Hochschorners and get their first chance to compete at the Olympics. Great things can be expected from Slovakia's newest top double canoe.