Augsburg Eiskanal
The Augsburg Eiskanal is an artificial whitewater river in Augsburg, Germany, constructed as the canoe slalom venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics in nearby Munich.
| Augsburg Eiskanal Wassermachine | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Augsburg, Germany |
| Managing agent | Augsburger Kayak Club eV Canoe Schwaben Augsburg |
| Main shape | Linear |
| Adjustable | Five barn-door deflectors hinged to the side walls of the channel |
| Water source | Lech River |
| Pumped | No |
| Flow diversion | Yes (dam release) |
| Practice pool | Yes |
| Surf wave | Yes |
| Grandstands | Landscaped into hillsides |
| Canoe lift | No |
| Facilities | Yes |
| Construction | July 1970 - August 1971 |
| Opening date | August 1971 |
| Stats | |
| Length | 308 m (1,010 ft) |
| Width | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Drop | 4.1 m (13 ft) |
| Slope | Competition: 1.3% (63 ft/mi) |
| Flowrate | 10 m3/s (350 cu ft/s) |
| Eiskanal Augsburg | |
The first artificial whitewater course of its kind, it introduced the sport of canoe slalom (using decked canoes and kayaks) to the Olympic Games. However, because of the expense of building artificial rivers and supplying them with water, canoe slalom was missing from the next four Summer Olympics. It returned with the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, and has been featured in every Summer Olympics since then.
The Eiskanal has thus served as the prototype for six Olympic whitewater venues, from 1992 through 2012, and for more than fifty training and competition facilities in eighteen countries (see list). Despite being the oldest, it is still one of the most widely used, hosting two World Championships and numerous World Cup races. It was a World Cup venue for all but four of the years 1990 through 2010, and it was so again in 2013 and 2014.
The facility and its website are jointly managed by two clubs with headquarters in the boat house, Augsburger Kayak Club eV and Canoe Schwaben Augsburg.