Representing your country at the Olympic Games is the dream of athletes all over the world, the culmination of many years of hard work and self–sacrifice. Of course, not every athlete succeeds. Starting today, in exactly 12 months, a group of participants in slalom rowing and kayaking will gather in Paris (France), preparing to make their history by adding their name to the shiny Olympic honor board. Some of them will make their Olympic debut. Others will come back again, having already attended two, three or even four Olympic Games. Some already have Olympic medals. For kayaking and canoeing, this will be the 21st appearance at the Olympic Games after debuting in Berlin in 1936. Slalom will be the tenth at the Games, making its debut in Munich in 1972, and then returning to the program in Barcelona in 1992. And all this is happening in the year when the ICF celebrates its centenary, 100 years since the Internationale Reprasentantenschaft Kanusport was established in Copenhagen on January 19, 1924. Right now, most athletes will think that the Olympic Games in Paris are still a long way away, but they will come much faster than we think. To date, no athlete has been confirmed as a certain qualifier for Paris. Country quotas still need to be won, and then athletes need to earn the right to represent their federation. The canoe sprint and canoe slalom qualification competitions will be held in the coming weeks. Several kayaking quotas will be determined early next year. This is a stressful, nervous process for all participants. Many people say that earning quotas and then getting the right to represent your country is more difficult than participating in the Olympic Games. For those who miss the World Championships, there will be several quotas for the continental championships. This is really the last chance. Kayaking will be added to the Olympic Games program next year. Two gold medals are being played in the new format, and it will surely attract the attention of a completely new audience of sports fans. Over the next two weeks, we will take a detailed look at each ICF medal event that will be played in Paris, look at the history of the race, some of the previous winners and those who may become the main contender next year. And every day we are getting one day closer to the 33rd Summer Olympic Games.