The canoe is one of the oldest forms of human transportation. Wooden, dug-out canoes are believed to have been in existence more than 8,000 years ago and probably originated in the Americas. Lighter and more easily manoeuvrable canoes were developed more recently by Inuit Eskimos, who stretched animal skins waterproofed with whale fat over frames made from whalebone and driftwood to create a closed-top kayak. Native North and South Americans developed a similar open-topped bark canoe for inland waterways.

The Spanish word canoa, in turn derived from the Arawak word canaoua, was the native name found in use by Columbus. The term kayak is thought to derive from the Eskimo term ka-i-ak, meaning “boat of men“.

John MacGregor, a mid-19th century Scottish barrister (and a noted explorer and travel writer), was largely responsible for establishing canoeing as a recreational sport. He studied the design of ancient kayaks and built a similar boat with which to travel Europe’s waterways.

In 1866, MacGregor and a number of other enthusiasts founded the Canoe Club, which became the Royal Canoe Club in 1873. Competitive canoeing began with the club’s first regatta in 1867.

The word “canoeing” is generally regarded as a collective term for both canoeing and kayaking. A canoeist uses a single-bladed paddle similar to an oar while a kayak paddle has a blade on each end and is gripped in the middle.

There are two types of Olympic canoeing events: flatwater (which is also known as sprint) and slalom. Flatwater races are staged over straight 500m or 1,000m courses on still water whereas slalom events are held on fast-moving stretches of water, with competitors having to manoeuvre through a series of hanging poles called gates.

There are also two different types of boat in Olympic events: the kayak and the Canadian canoe. Whereas a kayaker propels the boat with a double-bladed paddle in a figure-of-eight motion, a Canadian canoeist kneels in the boat and manoeuvres the blade backwards

Flatwater kayak canoeing was a demonstration sport at the 1924 Olympics before gaining full-medal status in 1936. A women’s kayak programme was introduced at the 1948 London Olympics. Whitewater slalom events for both men and women were included for the first time at the 1972 Games, but did not form part of the Olympic programme again until 1992.

The Olympic canoeing programme currently consists of 16 events. There are 12 flatwater disciplines (nine for men and three for women) and four slalom competitions (three for men and one for women). There are single, double and four-person boats, with the kayak events being identified by the letter “K” and the Canadian disciplines by the letter “C”. K-1, for example, means kayak singles while C-2 signifies Canadian pairs.

Hungary and Germany have each won 70 Olympic canoeing medals, more than any other nation. The Soviet Union, however, have claimed the most gold medals, having secured a total of 30.

Great Britain have won nine Olympic canoeing medals - one gold, four silver and four bronze. Tim Brabants secured the country’s first ever canoeing gold when he triumphed in the K-1 1,000m flatwater discipline at the 2008 Beijing Games. The four silvers have all been harvested in men’s slalom. Helen Reeves, who claimed a bronze medal in the K-1 women’s slalom in Athens in 2004, is the only British female to win an Olympic canoeing medal.

Greg Barton, who was born with two club feet, became the first American kayaker to win an Olympic gold medal when he beat Australia’s Grant Davies to the K-1 1,000m sprint title in 1988. Barton prevailed by 0.005sec - a margin of less than one centimetre. “If that’s the biggest disappointment in my life, I can handle it,” said Davies.

A “spray skirt” is a cover worn by paddlers in whitewater events. It attaches around the cockpit and seals the paddler into the boat to prevent water from entering. The “gate line” is the line that a whitewater competitor takes through the two hanging poles of the slalom gate.