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Olympic kayak cross event goes viral for chaotic nature

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•08/05/24•

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Kayak Cross
© Sarah Phipps | USA TODAY Sports

On Monday, kayak cross took the world by storm. In the event’s first year in the Olympic Games, kayak cross stunned viewers around the globe with its high-octane pace and non-stop surprises.

The event immediately begins with a jaw-dropping spectacle, with all competitors dropping into the rushing water from a 15-foot-high platform. Once in the water, the athletes have no time to rest, as the currents immediately begin to sweep them down the course.

Along the way, the competitors must control their vessels and maneuver around obstacles, similar to downhill skiing — except the kayakers are fighting brutal white-water rapids, not soft snow mounds.

To make matters worse, the course forces the competitors to complete a 360-degree kayak roll at some point in the race. For those unaware, the roll is as mind-boggling as it sounds, with the competitors flipping their boat upside down in the water, only to pop upright and continue their push for the finish line.

Obviously, the uncommon sport has no shortage of nail-biting moments. However, the athletes wouldn’t want it any other way.

“That is what I love about the sport,” New Zealand women’s kayaker Luuka Jones said, per the Associated Press. “You are in these different situations on white water and have to react in the moment and trust your instincts. That is the biggest strategy, trusting your instincts.”

Jones isn’t the only one who enjoys the thrill of the challenge. New Zealand men’s kayaker Finn Butcher raved about the role quick thinking plays in the sport.

“It’s a lot of adaptation in the run,” Butcher said. “For me, the best form of defense is to get out in front and be by yourself, so that’s the main goal. If you end up in the melee, you need to adapt to the situation.”

Noah Lyles wins 100m dash at 2024 Paris Olympics

Of course, staples at the Olympics can be just as exciting as kayak cross. On Sunday, American sprinter Noah Lyles re-established himself as the fastest man in the world, winning the 100-meter dash at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It’s Lyles’ first Olympic gold medal in the event, succeeding Italy’s Marcell Jacobs who took home first place in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Lyles posted a 9.79-second time in the event — five-thousandths of a second faster than Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who finished second in the event. United States’ Fred Kerley followed closely behind, securing a bronze medal.

Lyles is the first American to win gold in the 100m race since Justin Gatlin in 2004. Lyles entered the 2024 Paris Olympics as the favorite in the event after winning the 2023 World Championship. However, following a subpar lead-up to the final, the narrative began to shift.

Lyles blocked out the noise and delivered a single message after his victory to all the viewers back home, cheering him on: “America, I told you. I got this.”