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ICF CANOE-KAYAK MEDIA NEWS  - 3/2001 -  ICF CANOE-KAYAK MEDIA NEWS
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   The 2001 Canoe-Kayak Slalom Racing World Championships to be
held at the 1996 Olympic Whitewater Venue on the Ocoee River in
September.

   COPPERHILL/DUCKTOWN, Tenn. -- The 1996 Olympic Legacy continues
for competitive canoe and kayaking on the Ocoee River as the United
States of America hosts the 2001 Slalom World Championships on
September 20-23rd. This  announcement was made today by the Copper
Basin Economic Development Association (CBEDA), the local
organizing committee for this international event. The Ocoee River
was the site of the 1996 Olympic whitewater competition and is
located in the Cherokee National Forest near Ducktown, Tennessee,
just 45 minutes outside of Chattanooga and 2 hours from Atlanta.

   Athletes from around the world will be competing in this
prestigious world championship event known in the sport as the
"granddaddy" of whitewater slalom competitions. The last World
Championship for the sport of canoe-kayak slalom racing was held in
Barcelona, Spain. This year, thousands of athletes and spectators
from around the world will return to 1996 Olympic whitewater venue
in Southeast Tennessee USA to be part of this world-class sporting
event.

   Kicking off the weekend's events, a "Parade of Nations" will be
conducted the Saturday before the competitive events and will be
held on the banks of the Tennessee River in America's Scenic City,
Chattanooga. Qualifying heats for C-1 men and K-1 women will be
held on Thursday, September 20, 2001 and qualifying heats for C-2
men and K-1 men will be held on Friday, September 21, 2001. Team
events will be held on Saturday, September 22, 2001 which are
unique competitive team runs only featured in World Championship
events.  The final runs and award ceremonies will be held on
Sunday, September 23rd. 

   Other festivities during the 2001 Slalom World Championships
will include live music after the races at the whitewater venue and
family fun with children's activities, as well as diverse food and
adult beverages available throughout the weekend. The festivities
will be presented by "The Friends of the Festival", organizers of
the Riverbend Festival held in Chattanooga each year on the
Tennessee River. There will be an environmental and conservation
theme highlighting some of the local achievements accomplished
including the revitalization of the riverfront in downtown
Chattanooga, reclamation of the Great Copper Basin and development
of land conservancies in and around the Ocoee River.  For more
information on directions, lodging and the race schedule, visit the
event website at www.OcoeeWhitewater.com.

   In preparation for the World Championships, the Ocoee River will
also be hosting the Ocoee Whitewater Games which includes both the
U.S. Slalom Team Trials and the popular Ocoee Rodeo on May 18-20,
2001. The winners of the team trials will go on to represent the
United States in September. International athletes will also be
conducting a training camp during this time in preparation for the
upcoming World Championship event.

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March 20th, 2001, INTERNATIONAL CANOE FEDERATION (ICF), Raymond
Kamber, Media Director, Hauptstrasse 40, 4143 Dornach/SUI 
Phone +41 61 703 06 34, Fax +41 61 701 9917, Mobile +4179 334 1973
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