Winners of the other 10 events will go to Brazil immediately after the trials to attend the Continental Olympic Qualifier. The Olympic Committee allows only 256 athletes from all countries to compete in canoe and kayaking competitions.

"Expect some really fast racing," said Gina Sanchez, a board member for USA Canoe/Kayak. "This is the elite of the country that's coming and even though it's a small event, there's going to be no one left behind. All the races are going to be within one tenth of a second."

Each event is categorized for men or women containing either 1, 2 or 4 athletes per canoe or kayak.

Although both sports use a demanding boat and paddle, the boats differ in style and structure. Athletes on a canoe have to balance the boat from flopping on its side by kneeling on one knee and lifting their body two feet higher than a kayak paddler. A kayak paddler sits inside the boat which covers the lower body. The tipsiness of both boats is roughly the same.

Scott Whitney, the media liaison for the trials, said Lake Merritt was the site of the national championships last summer, and when the bid for the trials came up, the lake was favored for its weather and urban location.

"The rowers have known it's a good lake to row on," Whitney said. "It's a good lake for sprint regatta."

Whitney said many of the athletes are seasoned racers, while some are relatively new to the sport.

Spectators should expect a showcase of athletic talent at the event. The sport is a test of endurance, strength, speed and agility, with a huge amount of "technical skill" involved in maneuvering the boats, Whitney said.

Jim Ryugo, capitol improvement manager for the Oakland Office of Parks and Recreation, said the public will be able to view the race from all areas around the lake. There will be shade tents set up near the Camron-Stanford House at Lake Merritt. The four-day regatta, which is free to the public, will make the lake off-limits from other boaters.

Programs detailing events for the week will be available at the venue near to the Camron-Stanford House and a commentator will be put the competition "in the lap of the spectators," Sanchez said.

The trials will not be without fierce competition. Three of the men competing against each other in K-1 races are members of a team for the K-4 1000 race.

Berkeley-born Rami Zur, who grew up in Israel, will be competing for the men's K-1 500 meter race even though he won the championships last summer.

Many of the athletes are training in Chula Vista, near San Diego, and will arrive in Oakland today, practicing mornings until the trials begin on Thursday.

Shirley Doell, boathouse coordinator for the Lake Merritt Rowing Club, said she will be putting up around 13,000 meters of rope strung across the lake to make about nine lanes for competitions. The lines will be 5 feet below the water with empty Clorox bottles keeping them afloat.

The course will run from Lakeshore Boulevard, east to west, with the finish line directly behind the Camron-Stanford house.

Next Saturday and Sunday, a group of paddlers with physical or developmental disabilities will compete in adaptive paddling races.

The trials run Thursday through April 18. Closing ceremonies will be the evening of April 18 at the Jack London Aquatic Center in Oakland. For more information about the event or volunteering, visit paddletoathens.org.