Quick Facts
Biography
Dana Chladek (born Dana Chládková on December 27, 1963 in Děčín) is a Czechoslovak-born American (she was born in Czechoslovakia, but emigrated to the United States with her parents in 1968) slalom kayaker who competed from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, she won two medals in the K-1 event with a silver in 1996 and a bronze in 1992.
Chladek also won six medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with four silvers (K-1: 1989, 1991; K-1 team: 1989, 1993) and two bronzes (K-1 team: 1987, 1991). In 1988 she won the inaugural edition of the World Cup series.
Currently, Dana Chladek is a coach and race director for the Potomac Whitewater Racing Center. Chladek and her team of coaches oversee whitewater training programs for young people who are intent on pursuing high levels of excellence, including Olympic and World Cup level competition. Chladek’s program is based on the Potomac River in the Washington D.C. area. Chladek’s hand-picked coaching team is the highest level provided in the United States.