President's Message Q2 2025

Dear ICF Family,

I hope this message finds you well. As we move through another dynamic and productive season, I am pleased to share with you some of the key highlights, progress, and milestones achieved in recent months. Our shared dedication to the growth and excellence of paddle sports continues to drive us forward with unity and passion.

Honouring Leadership and Welcoming a New Era in the IOC
On Olympic Day, a significant moment in sporting history unfolded as IOC President Dr. Thomas Bach passed the torch to his successor, Kirsty Coventry, after 12 years of exemplary leadership. President Coventry, the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC, officially began her tenure on this symbolic day in Lausanne. At the same time, we remain deeply grateful to Dr. Bach, whose visionary leadership and unwavering support were instrumental in advancing paddle sports worldwide. In recognition of his remarkable contribution, it was my great honour, by resolution of the ICF Board of Directors, to present him with the ICF Order of Merit, our federation’s highest distinction. We also bid farewell to Kit McConnell, who stepped down as IOC Sports Director. Kit has long been a valued partner of the ICF, and we are pleased that he will continue contributing to the Olympic Movement as the newly appointed Chief Sport Officer for Brisbane 2032.

What does this mean for our Federation? It’s hard to say. We requested a meeting immediately after President Coventry took office, and I hope to meet her as soon as possible. With Kit’s departure, we now need to build an equally close relationship with his successor, with whom we’ve already had some contact in the past. It’s good that Kit will remain with us as Sports Director for Brisbane 2032, and that we can continue to benefit from our strong relationship with him in the lead-up to those Games.

2025 Season Underway: Events, Innovation and Resilience
Our international season officially commenced in May, and in just two months, we have already successfully delivered numerous world-class events across our disciplines. Despite challenges such as unusually low water levels caused by climate change, the professionalism and resilience of our local organisers and ICF staff ensured that athletes were able to compete in optimal conditions and pursue their sporting dreams. While we continue to deliver over 30 high-level events annually, we are also committed to ongoing improvement in areas such as promotion, broadcast production, and spectator engagement. Recent milestones include the launch of the new Canoe Sprint World Ranking system and our partnership with Two Circles to enhance broadcasting and reach wider audiences.

LA28 Qualification System: Transparency and Collaboration
The development of the Canoe Sprint qualification system for Los Angeles 2028 has been a priority since the formation of our working group last year. I am particularly proud of the open and collaborative approach we have taken, inviting valuable contributions from outside the working group. A joint discussion with team leaders and coaches during the Poznan World Cup provided valuable insights that helped shape the draft qualification system. We will soon organise an online presentation in mid-July to brief all National Federations, followed by a dedicated workshop during the World Championships in Milan, ensuring clarity and shared ownership of the process. 
I would like to thank all members of the working group who, over the course of 14 meetings, have made our qualification system fit for the future.

ICF Headquarters in Budapest: A New Chapter
Since May, the ICF has been officially registered as a legal entity in Budapest, Hungary, following weeks of truly time-consuming and labour-intensive work to meet all national legal requirements. Immediately after registration, we were able to sign the lease agreement and will complete the necessary renovation work in the coming weeks. We plan to officially open the office with a ceremony in September. Recruitment is ongoing, and I warmly encourage all those passionate about our sport to explore opportunities to join the ICF team. Details can be found at: www.canoeicf.com/jobs. We hope that the first new employees will be able to start work as soon as possible, and temporary office space has been offered by the landlord for this purpose.

Standing with Ukraine
At the end of May, I could visit Ukraine once again since the outbreak of large-scale war. Attending the Ukrainian Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint Championships in Uman, I reaffirmed the ICF’s steadfast solidarity and support for Ukrainian athletes and our Ukrainian Canoe Federation. I deeply appreciated the meaningful discussions with the federation’s leadership and thank them for their openness and determination during these challenging times. Together with the ECA, we issued a joint call for boat donations to help replace equipment destroyed in the conflict. I would like to sincerely thank the Hungarian Canoe Federation and Lolland IKN (Denmark) for their generous and swift response to this call. I would be delighted if other clubs could check whether they are able to donate used boats.

Inclusion of our disciplines in Multisport Games
To promote the inclusion of Paracanoe and Canoe Polo at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, I met with the senior leadership of the local Organising Committee and the Asian Paralympic Committee during my recent visit to Japan. I am grateful for the warm support of our Japanese partners and especially to Mr. Fukuda, President of the Japanese Canoe Association and a key national policymaker, for his advocacy. As a result of our efforts, we can now offer both disciplines to be included as demonstration sports with official accreditations, this is a significant step forward for their visibility and development in Asia. Additionally, I had the honour of presenting our sport at the fourth ACOLOP Olympic Congress in Cape Verde, which represents 250 million Portuguese-speaking people. With the support of IOC Member and NOC President Ms. Filomena Fortes, as well as ANOCA Vice President and CAC President Mr. João Costa Alegre, Cape Verde has submitted its application to join the ICF family. Furthermore, plans are underway to include one or two ICF disciplines in the CPLP and Lusophony Games, further expanding our reach in international and continental multisport events.

The World Games in Chengdu 
At the IWGA General Assembly in Madrid, the Chengdu 2025 Organising Committee presented an exciting update on preparations. With Canoe Polo, Canoe Marathon, and Dragon Boat among the featured disciplines, we are confident that canoeing will once again shine as a highlight of the World Games next August. Patchi was very happy about our birthday message, which we recorded in China and which was played during the GA, and he asked me to pass on his regards to you.

Celebrating the Achievements of Our Community 
We are proud to share recent accomplishments by members of our global canoeing family: Mr. Luciano Buonfiglio, ICF Vice President and President of FICK, was elected President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI). Mr. Tong Lixin, President of the Chinese Canoe Association, was appointed Vice Minister of Sport in China. Mr. Adam van Koeverden, Olympic gold medallist from Canada, was appointed as the Secretary of State for Sport. These milestones reflect the growing recognition of paddle sports and the strength of leadership within our community. I had the opportunity to meet with Vice Minister Tong during my recent visit to China, where he reaffirmed his commitment to the development of our sport.

Visit in Hangzhou 
During my recent trip to Hangzhou, I had the opportunity to sign a contract with a new ICF Gold Partner. I am pleased to introduce Flying Eagle, a renowned boat manufacturer based in Hangzhou. Known for its craftsmanship from sprint boats to luxury yachts, Flying Eagle is a welcome addition to our sponsorship family. We remain deeply grateful to all our partners for their continued support in advancing our sport. Together with the Deputy Director of the Hangzhou Sports Bureau, we discussed the future of the Super Cup and the challenges posed by this year’s tight ICF schedule. We explored possible solutions to further develop the Super Cup as a true highlight. Various options were considered and will now be presented to the mayor. We will inform you as soon as final decisions have been made.

Administration 
I was able to visit our office in Lausanne three times in June and discussed the ongoing governance review in particular with our staff. All working groups have begun their deliberations, and the first initial results are already available. During the discussions, we were once again reminded of how complex the issues are, and I would like to thank all members of the working groups for their dedicated efforts. As decided by the Board, we have now commissioned a law firm specialising in advising sports associations to conduct an independent evaluation of our structures and decision-making processes within the federation. Hoichan Kwon has now been officially confirmed as Venue Manager for LA 28 and will likely be leaving us in August. Applications and statements from our committees are available for all World Cups and World Championships in 2026 that have not yet been confirmed (Marathon World Cup, Sprint Junior/U23 World Championships, and Sprint World Cup in overseas 2026). The Sports Department is currently in the process of obtaining the final guarantee statements, after which the proposals will be submitted to the Board for approval. As the season unfolds, I wish all athletes the very best in their competitions. To our National Federations, partners, and friends around the world, thank you for your dedication and continued cooperation. Let us build on this positive momentum and keep moving our sport forward together.

With warm regards,
Thomas Konietzko, President of the International Canoe Federation