ICF Wildwater Canoeing Committee activities Q2 2025

Plans in Place Thanks to Dedicated Members
The work of the ICF Wildwater Canoeing Committee in spring focuses primarily on supporting the organisers of our competitions and planning the development camps. In odd numbered years, our calendar includes not just one but two major events – the Junior and U23 World Championships and the World Championships in sprint – which significantly increases the workload. Given that we are still operating on a voluntary basis, with all members dedicating their free time to this sport, our human resources are understandably limited. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all those who contribute their time and energy to make this possible.

Athlete Development Activities in Mezzana
The ECA Wildwater Canoeing European Championships in Mezzana, Italy, provided a successful start to this year's athlete development programme with the support of the ECA. A total of eight skilled athletes from four nations learnt a lot the basics of our discipline in strong wildwater and were able to successfully run the course and achieve some good results at the European Championships despite the difficult conditions due to the high water level. The aim was to prepare some of these athletes for the World Championships in September.

Athlete Development Activities in Solkan
The recent ICF Junior and U23 World Championships in Solkan, Slovenia marked another important milestone for our wildwater development programme with 12 athletes and four coaches taking part. Our strategic efforts are beginning to show real impact as two athletes from the Talent Identification Programme (TIP) successfully qualified for the sprint finals – a strong signal that we're on the right path. What’s even more encouraging is the growing enthusiasm of athletes across all boat categories. We're not only training them in kayaks but also introducing them to the canoe disciplines. It’s great to see them participating with both excitement and early successes, demonstrating the positive spirit we aim to foster. We hope this approach can serve as inspiration for other nations, helping to further motivate and engage their young athletes in the sport. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our four dedicated development coaches, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes throughout the entire week.

Historic Moment as Wildwater and Rafting Combine 
Organising the ICF Junior and U23 Wildwater Canoeing World Championships alongside the WRF Junior and U23 Rafting World Championships presented a significant logistical challenge. However, the cooperation between both federations proved to be extremely rewarding, and the entire event ran smoothly from start to finish. Approximately 350 athletes from 26 nations and four continents took part in the Junior and U23 Wildwater Canoeing World Championships. Participation numbers continue to rise, especially in the canoe events. One highlight was the first-ever official World Championship titles awarded in the women's C2 team events. These historic races took place under floodlights at the end of the competition week, creating an unforgettable atmosphere. Particularly noteworthy is the strong increase in participation in the junior categories, which gives us great hope for the future of our sport.

ITO Examinations
Some new Wildwater Canoeing ITO’s from the Americas passed their examination during the assessment in Solkan. Another examination round will take place during the World Championships in sprint in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia. The whitewater season is not over yet. Just after the World Championships in Solkan, the first World Cup events are taking place in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzogovenia followed by the World Championships in Ceske Budejovice in mid-September and the World Cup Finals in Skopje, North Macedonia.

By Manuela Gawehn, Chair of the ICF Wildwater Canoeing Committee