THE TAKING PART

There will be 275 competitors in Sydney, though the size of entry varies from event to event. Nations qualify one boat each per event according to results at the 1999 world championships in Spain but a canoeist who is a member of a qualified boat may compete in a second event without having qualified by automatic right. Australia, as host, gets one automatic spot in each race beyond those who qualify by right if they finished in the top 18 at the world championships.