USA Canoe/Kayak's 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Sprint Canoe/Kayak will take place April 18 – 20, 2008 in Oklahoma City, OK. Nearly 100 elite paddlers from across the U.S. are expected to compete in the three-day Trials competition that will determine the ranking of sprint athletes vying for selection to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and will select paddlers to represent the U.S. at the 2008 Pan American Championships and Continental Qualification event for the Olympic Games this May in Montreal, Canada.

The 2008 Trials, which are to take place on the recently completed Oklahoma River championship course at the state-of-the-art Chesapeake Boathouse, mark the first time that a major national canoe/kayak event will be held in the state of Oklahoma.

“Our athletes are extremely excited about competing in Oklahoma City,” said David Yarborough, Executive Director of USA Canoe/Kayak, who expects a strong turnout from the Oklahoma City community during Trials competition. “The Oklahoma River course is built quite similarly to the major European venues,” he said. “From an athlete’s perspective, the course itself is exceptional and like the major European venues, Oklahoma City’s is in a dynamic urban center, making it easy to view the sport. I’m sure the enthusiasm of the spectators will be felt and appreciated by our athletes.”

“The USOC is committed to working in partnership with USA Canoe/Kayak and Oklahoma City to provide a world-class Olympic Trials event that will be the first step towards our common goal of competitive excellence in Beijing,” said Steve Roush, the USOC's Chief of Sport Performance. “The Oklahoma River Championship course and the Chesapeake Boathouse provides the type of world-class setting these Olympic hopefuls deserve.”

Among the athletes with Olympic Games experience that are expected to race in Oklahoma City are Carrie Johnson (Chula Vista, Calif.), who had the top performance among U.S. sprint paddlers at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and won silver in the women’s K1-500m at the August pre-Olympic test event in Beijing and Rami Zur (Newport Beach, Calif.) who competed in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. Both secured a berth for the U.S. at the Beijing Games with fifth-place finishes at this year’s World Championships. Also expected to compete in Oklahoma City is two-time Olympian Jordan Malloch (Seattle, Wash.) who finished 10th at this year’s world championships.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Olympic Trials for Canoe/Kayak to Oklahoma City,” said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. “Our community has recently recognized that there are very real opportunities in the Olympic Movement. We are confident this is just one of many Olympic-related events that will occur here in the coming years.”