para cAInoe

Project duration: August 2026 – July 2027

Both the correct execution of sporting technique and race strategy and competition tactics are of great importance for sporting success – particularly at the elite level of Olympic and Paralympic canoe racing – alongside individual physical fitness. Accordingly, there is a significant need to record relevant parameters for assessing paddling behaviour in training and competition as objectively and automatically as possible, in order to identify performance potential.

In this context, high-performance software solutions for Olympic canoe racing have been developed in recent years at HTWK Leipzig as part of funded BISp application projects; these solutions use artificial intelligence (AI) methods to derive relevant information from video recordings. Since 2023, ‘Kinematik Kanu’ has been available as software for automated paddling technique analysis. It enables the evaluation of video recordings from training sessions, which are captured by a motorboat travelling alongside the athlete. Furthermore, since 2025, the Canoe Race software has also made it possible to analyse performance and tactics during competition based solely on video data. The application automatically determines speed and stroke rate profiles over the entire race distance from video footage captured by panning and zooming the camera from the finish area of the regatta course.

The underlying methods are, in principle, also suitable for use in para-canoeing, as comparable movement patterns exist and the analyses are based on largely identical performance indicators. However, para-specific conditions require targeted adjustments. As part of this research project, the existing software solutions are therefore being expanded so that their potential can also be fully utilised in para-canoeing in future.