In an Olympic canoe race open only to men, the competitors paddle from a kneeling position with a single-bladed paddle. In kayak racing, the competitors use a double-bladed paddle from a sitting position. The watercraft itself accounts for other differences between the two events. Canoes, used for thousands of years as a form of transportation by natives to North America and Indians from the Caribbean Islands, were traditionally carved from birch, elm, or cedar trees. Today manufacturers create the vast majority of canoes, but a collection of individuals, artisans, and others use only hand-carved boats. On the other hand, hunters in the Arctic traditionally created kayaks from whalebone, seal skin, and other materials. Canoes sport an open top, whereas kayakers seal themselves into their crafts using a waterproof shirt that is latched onto the top, creating a vessel that can roll without taking in enough water to sink. In both kayaking and canoeing, competitors compete in same sex races as individuals or in teams.

Explorer John MacGregor established canoeing as a recreational sport in the mid-1800s. The Scottish sportsman went on to found the Canoe Club, and the popularity of the sport climbed, leading to canoeing becoming an official Olympic sport in 1936. In the Olympics, both canoe and kayak competitors attempt to earn medals in flatwater and slalom events. Flatwater events are distinguished by the length of the race. Competing teams work alone or in groups to be the first to reach the finish line. Slalom events require the paddlers to maneuver through 20 to 25 gates in turbulent water over a 300 m (984 feet) course.

The European Championship and World Championship have slightly different competitive forms than Olympic Canoe-Kayak. Another canoeing and kayaking event is marathoning, where racers battle for long distances.

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