Technology and the world of sports continues to advance at an incredible rate. As technology advances, it opens opportunities for athletes to get bigger, faster, and stronger. It also allows the spectators to watch closer, clearer, and easier. To demonstrate, today we are contrasting canoe racing from this year to last year. Pay attention to the difference in athlete performance and in the production performance for the spectators.
Canoe ’09
Here’s a great highlight video and example from 10 years ago at the 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in NovaScotia Canada along with some information published on the official Canoe09 website at the time of the event.
City Park transformed into Athlete’s Village for Canoe ’09
A popular park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia has been transformed into an athlete’s village for the 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, presented by Bell Aliant.
More than 70 countries, will be using Birch Cove Park, on Lake Banook, as a staging area during the championships.
“We wanted to take advantage of Lake Banook’s natural beauty and create something special for the visiting athletes,” said Chris Keevill, chair of Canoe ‘09. “It is incredible to see the transformation of this popular park and the improvements made for Canoe ‘09 will be another lasting legacy for the residents of HRM.”
Walking along the tree-lined paths in Birch Cove is a striking experience. The country names and flag signs are attached to the fronts of each tent, teamed with the different languages being spoken. It is an international journey heightened by the bustle of activity and crackling excitement as athletes prepare to compete.
The natural setting is a big departure from what is normally used at the Worlds.
“I think it’s a lot more natural looking,” said Steve Giles, an Olympic medalist and Canoe ‘09 Competition Chair. “A lot of times the athlete staging area is a kind of a concrete jungle, not a lot of trees and certainly not in the woods with a tent amongst the trees.”
Canoe 09 is the largest international sporting event ever held in Atlantic Canada. More than 1000 athletes, coaches and officials are in Nova Scotia for this event. 100,000 spectators are expected to take in the competition and festival beginning with the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday evening on Prince Albert Road.
Broadcast
CBC Sports will broadcast the 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships live on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16. Watch the action live at cbcsports.ca or on CBC Television
Broadcast times:
Saturday August 15 – 2:00 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time / 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (1 hour of coverage)
Sunday, August 16 – Late Night 12:30 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time (1 hour of Sunday coverage and one hour repeat of Saturday’s show)
Schedule
2009 Preliminary Schedule Aug 9
2009 Preliminary Schedule Aug 11
Men’s Canoe Times
| Event | Gold Time | Silver Time | Bronze Time |
| C-1 200 m | 39.048 | 39.234 | 39.978 |
| C-1 500 m | 0.00127 | 0.00127 | 0.001281 |
| C-1 1000 m | 0.002726 | 0.002732 | 0.00278 |
| C-1 4 × 200 m relay | 0.001966 | 0.00199 | 0.001996 |
| C-2 200 m | 36.433 | 36.753 | 37.085 |
| C-2 500 m | 0.001173 | 0.001178 | 0.001188 |
| C-2 1000 m | 0.002516 | 0.002517 | 0.002532 |
| C-4 200 m | 34.147 | 34.499 | 35.235 |
| C-4 1000 m | 0.002333 | 0.00234 | 0.002358 |
Women’s Canoe Times
| Event | First Time | Second Time | Third Time |
| C-1 200 m | 56.195 | 58.839 | 0.000699 |
| C-1 500 m | 0.001629 | 0.001732 | 0.00176 |
| C-2 200 m | 48.399 | 50.991 | 51.141 |
| C-2 500 m | 0.001512 | 0.001602 | 0.001613 |
Szeged19
And for contrast, here are the highlights from the 2019 ICF Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Championships in Szeged Hungary along with some of the information published on the official Szeged19 website.
Szeged, the ‘City of Sunshine’ situated at the confluence of the rivers Tisza and Maros is an excellent venue for world tournaments, having rich historical and cultural heritage and traditions. Taking a walk in the city, visitors will find the emblematic cathedral at Dóm tér (Cathedral Square) astonishing – although the Votive Church is an iconic symbol of Szeged, there are also numerous other buildings to impress. The secessionist palaces, the spectacular middle-class residential houses and the network of atmospheric streets are highly impressive, and the riverbank promenade is uniquely beautiful.
In addition to its built heritage and outstanding role in Hungarian literature, Szeged is also a haven of gastronomy: the fish soup of Szeged seasoned with its world-famous paprika is a real Hungaricum. Confectioneries represent another unique feature in Szeged – the thematic tours focusing on architecture and history also include a ‘Sweet Tour’, visiting the legendary sweetshops of the city.
Water has always played an important role in the history of Szeged. What is now the largest city of the Hungarian Great Plain, and the third biggest nationwide, Szeged owes its existence, survival and modernization, as a result of a disastrous flood, to the River Tisza.
People lived on the river’s islands already in the Stone Age and according to historical records a permanent settlement existed at the confluence of the rivers Tisza and Maros from the 2nd century BC. Gold, silver, timber and salt, as well as fishery, commerce and river shipbuilding contributed to the economic development of Szeged. In 1879 an unprecedentedly devastating flood of the Tisza ruined this flourishing lively town, to be miraculously rebuilt in just four years, including its modern road network, beautiful buildings, spacious squares and youthful atmosphere.
It is therefore not a coincidence that this ancient element, water, has always been particularly important for the inhabitants of Szeged. Thermal water from the depths of the earth is a wonderful source of recreation, and the various medicinal waters are well known for their healing properties.
Generations of the inhabitants consider canoe as a significant community building experience, and the people of Szeged are keen to show their support at the international tournaments.
Visitors to the canoe events will be enchanted not only by the beautiful features of Szeged, but also by the enthusiasm of the audience. The contests will be decisive not only in terms of selecting this year’s champions, but also in terms of Olympic quotas for next year.
Broadcast
ICF TV LIVE & Drone Broadcast (internet broadcast)
Schedule
Men’s Canoe Times
| Event | Gold Time | Silver Time | Bronze Time |
| C–1 200 m | 39.36 | 40.08 | 40.24 |
| C–1 500 m | 0.001314699 | 0.001325116 | 0.001330324 |
| C–1 1000 m | 0.002768866 | 0.002788426 | 0.002795718 |
| C–1 5000 m | 0.015461343 | 0.015499421 | 0.015630324 |
| C–2 200 m | 36.06 | 36.18 | 36.42 |
| C–2 500 m | 0.001126505 | 0.001139005 | 0.001145486 |
| C–2 1000 m | 0.002552662 | 0.002563194 | 0.002596528 |
| C–4 500 m | 0.001095949 | 0.001109144 | 0.001124306 |
Women’s Canoe Times
| Event | Gold Time | Silver Time | Bronze Time |
| C–1 200 m | 49.3 | 49.74 | 49.99 |
| C–1 500 m | 2:00.73 WB | 0.00140787 | 0.001433218 |
| C–1 5000 m | 0.017762384 | 0.018014005 | 0.018228009 |
| C–2 200 m | 44.69 | 45.16 | 46.6 |
| C–2 500 m | 0.001421412 | 0.001440856 | 0.001478472 |
Amazing how technology has advanced over 10 years.