How 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials site Riversport OKC has grown into 'global destination'
Ria Sribar’s love for water sports has carried her on global odysseys.
She traveled 231 miles through the Grand Canyon in a slalom boat at age 11. She has competed in World Championships in Brazil, Italy and Slovenia. Now, Sribar strives to represent the United States in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
To reach the Olympics, she has to pass through a familiar place: Oklahoma City.
The daughter of a Serbian mother and a Slovenian father, Sribar grew up in northern California, but she has spent enough time at Riversport OKC to know the distinct features of its channels. Sribar said she typically attends training camp on a yearly basis in Oklahoma City.
“I think just as a whole, the facility’s incredible,” Sribar said.
Although visitors might not expect a city in the plains to boast whitewater rapids, Riversport has a strong reputation among serious athletes like Sribar, who competes in canoe slalom. The venue is set to host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for canoe/kayak slalom and kayak cross Friday and Saturday, spotlighting one of Oklahoma’s hidden gems.
More: Former Boston Marathon executive shares how Boston, OKC responded in face of tragedy
Mike Knopp’s out-of-the-box brainchild has grown into a hotspot for Olympic hopefuls.
“It’s something that I think when we started all this, people didn’t maybe fully appreciate or understand what this could mean because it was not necessarily part of our culture back then,” said Knopp, Riversport’s executive director/founder. “But as we continue to do this, we are truly making Oklahoma City a global destination for the sport.
“To have so many opportunities to be that stop that the athletes have to make before going to pursue their Olympic dream is quite an honor.”
Oklahoma City is introducing spectators to kayak cross, a new Olympic sport in which athletes start 10 feet above the water and propel their kayaks into the rapids.
But the city is no stranger to the Olympic water sports scene.
This is the fourth time for the Olympic Team Trials to come to Riversport, a designated U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site since 2009.
This hub for outdoor adventure wouldn't exist without Knopp’s vivid imagination. An avid rower who established Oklahoma City University’s program, Knopp isn’t one to limit his dreams. As the revitalized Oklahoma River reached its completion in 2004, Knopp envisioned an active water sports scene just southeast of Bricktown.
He understood there would be doubters.
“To be honest, it was probably the last place people would have thought they’re going to be pursuing whitewater in America,” Knopp said.
The sprawling Boathouse District had to take shape gradually. The initial flatwater course gained popularity, and in 2008, Riversport held its first Olympic Team Trials. The event returned in 2012.
Then Riversport Whitewater Center debuted in 2016 with funding from MAPS 3, a penny sales tax to bring about public developments in the city. With the rarity of a flatwater course and whitewater course in one location, Oklahoma City again hosted Olympic Team Trials that year.
This month, the Olympic trials add a unique element to downtown's bustling sports landscape. Fans have packed Paycom Center for the OKC Thunder’s NBA playoff games and runners will gather for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon this weekend.
Mayor David Holt has promoted the events together. Sporting an OKC Memorial Marathon jacket and pants with a Thunder logo, he took a kayak trip down Riversport’s channels the week before aspiring Olympians will do the same. The Olympic Team Trials, which is free for spectators, schedule spans from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, while Saturday’s events start at 9 a.m. and conclude with 8:45 p.m. fireworks.
“Here in Oklahoma City, obviously, we’re kind of the center of the sports world for the next couple of weeks,” Holt said. “We definitely want to highlight (the Olympic trials). I think people are kind of used to how they interact with the NBA playoffs and the Memorial Marathon. This only happens every few years, so we really want to get the word out, and we really want to have a strong showing.”
Some Olympic hopefuls, including Sribar and Marcella Altman, showed up several days early for training. Hailing from Maryland, Altman belongs to the Potomac Whitewater Racing Club – hardly close to Oklahoma City. But she, like Sribar, is well-acquainted with Riversport’s meandering course and distinct backdrop featuring the 844-foot Devon Tower.
“I really love the fact that they have the two channels, that they have some of the best training conditions within the U.S.,” Altman said. “It’s definitely on par with even the world standard, which is amazing to have that here within the U.S. It’s also an incredible place to have development for both current athletes and the up-and-coming generations, so I hope to see the venue flourish and grow.”
Riversport has hosted a variety of events, and there's more in store for 2026. The venue is the designated site for the International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Championships, expanding Riversport’s worldwide reach.
As Riversport extends its arms around the globe, the venue maintains pride in its local roots. Striving to foster connections within the community, Riversport is offering the Olympic Experience Interactive Fan Zone to those who attend the Olympic Team Trials this weekend. Guests can not only stand near the channels as spectators, but also try the sports for themselves.
“When we have events like this, we want there to be a real legacy to it,” Knopp said. “We want the youth of Oklahoma City to see this as, this is something they can (do). If you have one of the best venues in the world, and we have great coaches, this is a chance to maybe inspire kids to come and give it a shot.
“The mayor did (last Thursday). Coming out for the trials to see the athletes in action, it’s a great opportunity for youth here.”
More: How OK Runner readies seniors for 2024 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
U.S. Olympic Team Trials Schedule
Friday
9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Canoe/Kayak Slalom Qualifiers
10 a.m.-1 p.m.: OKC Schools Field Trip Day
10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Olympic Experience Interactive Fan Zone
Saturday
11 a.m.-6 p.m.: Olympic Experience Interactive Fan Zone
9 a.m.– 1:30 p.m.: Canoe/Kayak Slalom Finals
4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.: Kayak Cross Competition & Finals
7 p.m.: Live Music – Jeremy Rowe Band
8 p.m.: Team USA Announcement
8:45 p.m.: Fireworks
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Riversport OKC became 'global destination' as Olympic Team Trials site
