At the U.S. Olympic trials in Montgomery, Evy Leibfarth wins a spot to represent USA in women's canoe slalom for the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer.At the U.S. Olympic trials in Montgomery, Evy Leibfarth wins a spot to represent USA in women's canoe slalom for the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer.MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Tammy Sterling had plans to go out of town this past weekend. Instead, she stayed home to attend an athletic event she'd never seen before.
Cindy Riggins was intrigued by the caliber of athletes who had traveled to her hometown for this competition.In canoe and kayak slalom, athletes race against the clock navigating through a series of red and green gates hanging above raging rapids. Points are deducted if they touch or miss any of the gates. Coaches, teammates, friends and parents ran alongside the course, encouraging and cheering the racer down to the finish line.
Evy Leibfarth, 20, from Bryson City, N.C., had the fastest time in both kayak and canoe slalom events and was the only athlete among the nearly 70 who competed in Montgomery to secure an Olympic spot in the women's canoe slalom. The remaining spots for Team USA will be determined in Oklahoma City in two weeks.Evy Leibfarth of the United States competes in July 2021 in the Women's C1 of the Canoe Slalom at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Montgomery Whitewater was built by the county for about $90 million and opened in July. It's the third artificial whitewater park in the U.S., joining facilities in Oklahoma City and Charlotte. It's part of a broader shift in the sport, with almost all high-level competitions now held on artificial courses.