Abstract
<jats:p>The article examines the issue of the formation and development of kayaking and canoeing as an Olympic sport. It is found that the founder of this sport is the Scotsman John McGregor, who, inspired by the Eskimo traditions of kayak construction, designed a boat in 1865, which he named "Rob-Roy". On this boat, he traveled along the rivers and lakes of many European countries, which contributed to the wide interest among the population of these countries and the growth of the popularity of using boats of this design for travel and recreation. The wide enthusiasm of people for the new type of water transport contributed to the creation in 1866 of the world's first rowing club - the English Royal Club of Kayaking and Canoeing Lovers. This club also contributed to the publication of a specialized printed magazine, The Canoeist, in 1874, which helped many rowing enthusiasts in Great Britain, Scandinavia, America and other countries to create their own boats according to the general principle. The mass involvement of the population in kayaking led to the formation of canoe clubs and national rowing associations in many countries. In 1924, representatives of Denmark, Germany, Austria and Sweden founded a new organization, the International Canoeing Federation (IRK), with the aim of popularizing rowing on the international stage, establishing ties between associations of different countries, and organizing international competitions. Fridtjof Santesson was elected the first president. In the future, the main direction of the IRK's work was the desire to include kayaking and canoeing in the program of the Olympic Games. The first Olympic regatta for kayakers and canoeists took place in 1936 in Berlin. Moreover, only male athletes took part in the competitions in 7 types of the program at distances of 1000 and 10,000 m. This event took place in the II interwar period (1919 - 1939) of the development of the International Olympic Movement. Since then, this sport has been represented at all subsequent Olympic Games. Women made their debut at the 1948 Olympics in London (III post-war period (1945 - 1988) of the development of the International Olympic Movement). The program of rowing and canoeing competitions at the Olympic Games is constantly evolving (today, competitions are held in 10 types of the program - 5 men's and 5 women's), and the number of participants from different countries is constantly growing. This indicates the further popularization of the sport and increased competition. The main favorites at international competitions are the teams of Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Romania, which win the lion's share of awards of various kinds. Separately, it is necessary to emphasize the prospects for the development of the sport, which include, in particular, strengthening gender equality of participants in the competitions, the growing role of television and the Internet in promoting kayaking and canoeing, the emergence of new types of rowing, for example, such as para canoeing.</jats:p>