[1] Similar to 2012 and 2016 format, a qualification system has been set up for both slalom and sprint canoeing at these games.
** National federation is limited to two athlete quota places at a continental qualifying event.
Qualification enables an NOC to participate, not necessarily in the person of the paddler who gained the place.
In the men's canoe category, Isaquias Queiroz of Brazil qualified in both the C-1 and C-2 events; his C-1 athlete quota spot was reallocated.
In the women's kayak category, numerous quota spots were reallocated, in a two-step process.
Lisa Carrington of New Zealand and Emma Jørgensen fit that criterion; they were treated as qualifying in the 500m and their 200m spots reallocated to Hungary and Serbia.
Volha Khudzenka of Belarus was part of the K-4, K-2, and K-1 500m boats that qualified, requiring reallocation of her K-2 and K-1 quota places.
The same was true of Sarah Guyot and Manon Hostens of France and Mariya Povkh of Ukraine.