The men's C-1 slalom canoeing event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 25 and 26 July 2021 at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Course. 18 canoeists from 18 nations competed.
Background
This was the 9th appearance of the event, having previously appeared in every Summer Olympics with slalom canoeing: 1972 and 1992–2016.
Neither reigning Olympic champion Denis Gargaud Chanut nor reigning World Champion Cédric Joly competed; both were passed over in selection for the French team in favor of Martin Thomas.
Qualification
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) entered only 1 qualified canoeist in the men's slalom C-1 event. A total of 17 qualification places were available, allocated as follows:
1 place for the host nation, Japan
11 places awarded through the 2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
5 places awarded through continental tournaments, 1 per continent
Pavel Eigel also competed, having already earned a quota in the Men's K1 event.
Qualifying places were awarded to the NOC, not to the individual canoeist who earned the place.
The World Championships quota places were allocated as follows:
Continental and other places:
Notes
The quota for the Americas was allocated to the NOC with the highest-ranked eligible athlete, due to the cancellation of the 2021 Pan American Championships.
Competition format
Slalom canoeing uses a three-round format, with heats, semifinal, and final. In the heats, each canoeist has two runs at the course with the better time counting. The top 15 advance to the semifinal. In the semifinal, the canoeists get a single run; the top 10 advance to the final. The best time in the single-run final wins gold.
The canoe course is approximately 250 metres long, with up to 25 gates that the canoeist must pass in the correct direction. Penalty time is added for infractions such as passing on the wrong side or touching a gate. Runs typically last approximately 95 seconds.
Schedule
All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
The men's slalom C-1 took place over two consecutive days.