Blog posts
Believe the hype - paracanoe goes from strength to strength
There’s been a real buzz around paracanoe for the past few years, ever since that momentous moment when it was announced the sport would be joining the Paralympics.
For the record, paracanoe first got the Paralympics nod in 2010. But it wasn’t until the start of 2015 that all the required checks and balances were finally approved, and in Rio in 2016 it finally happened!
What a show it was. So impressive that when the ICF went back to the International Paralympic Committee and asked for more events to be added to Tokyo 2020, the answer was an emphatic yes....Read more
Pimenta and co take canoe sprint to next level
The stars came out to play at the 2018 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, but there was one star who shone brightest of all, turning on a master display that whipped the big Portuguese crowd into a frenzy.
For months in the build up to the Montemor World Championships Fernando Pimenta was the face of the event. He was Portugal’s most successful canoe paddler of all time, was a better-than-even prospect of winning gold at home, and was easily marketable.
There was always the danger that the local federation was placing too much pressure on the young man who...Read more
YOG shows future for canoeing looks strong
The future of canoeing was once again on show at the Youth Olympics, and what a show it was! Right in the heart of the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, on the Puerto Madero docks in the Games’ urban park, it proved the perfect setting to showcase our exciting hybrid discipline.
Canoeing at the Youth Olympics is a combination of sprint and slalom and is open to 15 and 16-year-old athletes. It made its debut at the 2010 YOG in Singapore, when a young Jessica Fox was among the gold medallists, and has proved an excellent starting point for the stars of tomorrow....Read more
Czechs enjoy a big week in Switzerland
The Czechs love whitewater paddling, especially slalom and wildwater. They are as at home in the bubble and froth as most of us are in a bath on a Saturday night.
One who seems to enjoy it more than most is Martina Satkova. At the 2018 ICF Wildwater World Championships she had an absolute ball, winning four gold medals across C1, K1, C2 and K2. Such was her form, she could have paddled down the Muotothal, Switzerland, course in a bathtub and saluted the judge.
She also picked up a silver and a bronze medal on the final day, and ended the championships by...Read more
World watches as dragon boat makes history in 2018
“This is a program on the rebound,” said Jim O’Dell, United States regional dragon boat coach, after his team were awarded the Nations Cup at the 2018 ICF Dragon Boat World Championships at Lake Lanier, Atlanta.
“After Moscow two years ago, nobody — these other nations have talked with me — expected us to do this well.”
Team USA shared the closing ceremonies platform with Germany and the Czech Republic as the prestigious event came to a close
Teams from 14 countries raced in dragon boats, which are similar to canoes but longer, seating 12 or 22 people,...Read more
2018 sees changing of the guard in canoe marathon
The two biggest names in the history of ICF canoe marathon picked up gold medals in 2018, but it wasn’t in the events fans had become use to seeing them dominate.
Hungary’s Renata Csay and South Africa’s Hank McGregor are the two biggest legends in the sport, and in Portugal they both added another gold medal to their healthy collection.
This time they shared the moment with their respective K2 partners, on the final day of the 2018 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Prado Vila Verde, Portugal.
McGregor, a seven-time individual champion, clocked up...Read more
