Whitewater slalom began in Switzerland in 1932.  Slalom canoeing had begun on flat water, but soon switched to white water rapids on natural rivers.  World War Two set development back, especially from an Olympic point of view, but today slalom is an established Olympic disciplines.

The sight  of skill, strength and courage pitted against powerful water makes for an exciting spectator sport both live and on TV.  For the competitor there is the challenge, fantastic friendships, cooperation between national teams, and a closeness to the river and the environment.

The first Slalom World Championships were held in 1949 in Geneva.  Since then there have been dramatic changes in both the boats and the rules.

1972 saw the first ever Olympic Games Canoe Slalom event at Munich and it took twenty years before it was back in the schedule.  In 1992 canoe slalom returned to the Olympic Games, in the fantastic atmosphere of La Seu d´Urgell. There has been a massive increase in interest, and slalom is now firmly established as an Olympic sport.

Below is a summary of British Medal Winners in Canoe Slalom since 1949. Particular thanks to John Gregory for compiling this data.

A useful international results website that covers all is http://slalom.flechtner.de/