When to watch para canoe during the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games
Para canoe events will take place between Friday, September 6 and Sunday, September 8 in the commune of Vaires-sur-Marne, just east of Paris, now home to the French Rowing and Canoe-Kayak Federation’s new Nautical Stadium.
Unlike the Olympic Games, which also feature whitewater slalom events, the Paralympic canoe program consists solely of flatwater sprints. Two types of boats are raced — kayaks and outrigger canoes. Outrigger canoes are known as “va’a” which is the Samoan and Hawaiian word for boat or canoe.
A single-blade paddle is used in outrigger canoe races (VL) while double-bladed paddles are what an athlete wields in kayak races (KL).
A complete list of the competition classes as defined by the Paralympic system of classification can be found below.
| KL1, VL1 | Athletes with no or very limited trunk function and no function in the legs |
| KL2, VL2 | Athletes with partial leg and trunk function, able to sit up straight in the kayak but may require a high-backed seat |
| KL3, VL3 | Athletes with full function of their trunk and partial function in the legs, able to sit with the trunk bent forward in the kayak and use at least one leg |
Venue
The Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium will host canoe competitions during the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Opened in 2019, the Nautical Stadium was the first new Olympic facility to be completed in preparation for Paris 2024.
Events
- KL1 (women’s, men’s)
- KL2 (women’s, men’s)
- KL3 (women’s, men’s)
- VL2 (women’s, men’s)
- VL3 (women’s, men’s)
How to watch para canoe
The complete para canoe schedule, including TV listings, is also available on the NBCOlympics.com schedule page.
All live streams are also available to watch on mobile, tablet and connected TV devices via the Peacock, NBC and NBC Olympics apps.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT | STREAM |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, 9/6 4-6:15a |
Sprint: Men's & Women's Heats | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
| Sat, 9/7 4-7:15a |
Sprint: M&W Semifinals and Finals (Part 1) 🏅 | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
| Sun, 9/8 4-7:15a |
Sprint: M&W Semifinals and Finals (Part 2) 🏅 | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com |
Para canoe athletes to watch on Team USA
Two U.S. athletes will compete in canoe events at the Paris Paralympic Games: Jillian Elwart and Blake Haxton.
Both Elwart and Haxton qualified for the Paralympics at the 2023 Paracanoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany last August. Haxton placed third in the men's VL2 200m, while Elwart finished fourth in the women's VL2 200m.
Haxton is set for his third Paralympic Games. He claimed silver at the Tokyo Games in the VL200m and is actually a two-sport athlete. Haxton competed for Team USA as a rower at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, finishing fourth in the PR1 men's single sculls.