European Canoe Association activities Q4 2025

With the end of a rich and intense summer season filled with competitions across all disciplines, the ECA is now entering a period of review and preparation. Key priorities include: the 2026 European Championships, the Development Project and Training Camps for 2026, the future ECA Headquarters, the launch of the new name Paddle Europe, the bidding process for the 2028 season, the economic model of the ECA, and the continued organizational transition following the adoption of the new statutes and the last Board members elections in March.

Election of Athletes’ Committee Chair 

Following the appointment of its members, the Athletes’ Committee held its first meeting on October 14, during which Canoe Slalom athlete Monica Doria was elected Chair. 
As stated in the ECA statutes, she now joins the ECA Board with voting rights. We wish her every success in her new responsibilities. 

Sports Committee 

The Sports Committee, bringing together all discipline committee chairs, met on October 15. Topics included: 

• Athletes’ Committee 
• Hosting fees and accreditation fees 
• Launch of the new ECA name Paddle Europe and impact on 2026 Championships 
• Calendar and events 
• Sustainability programme, presented by Stein Verlinden 
• 2025 activity reports 
• ECA Headquarters 
• ICF Innovation Fund 
• Regulations, communication, TV production and streaming

Greg Smale also presented the results of the survey conducted among member federations. This meeting was also the opportunity to introduce Ali Hassan, Continental Manager for Europe, and discuss the Development Project and 2026 Training Camps. 

Recreational Committee

Following the creation of the Recreational Committee and the appointment of its Chair, Gabriele Koch, two open meetings were held on September 29 and November 3, enabling wide participation from leisure-activity stakeholders within member federations in the presence of Moira Aston ECA Vice-President in charge of Paddle Sports for All and Christian Jacobsen, Board member in charge of ECA educational programme. Following these meetings, the members of this committee were appointed by the Board.  

The recreational committee composition: Chair Gabriele Koch of Germany and members: Steven Fahy of Ireland, Rita Concalves of Portugal, Ead Becirevic of Croatia and Katinka Ingves of Sweden

Calls for Applications and Nominations

A call for candidates was launched for the following positions.  

• Chair of the Slalom Committee 
• Chair of the Sprint Committee 
• New members of the Freestyle Committee 

Following this call for candidates, the Board appointed Michel Letienne of France as Chair of the Sprint Committee. Michel has a long-standing commitment to canoeing at both national and international levels. He has been a member of the Sprint Committee since 2013, has extensive experience as an ITO, and has been serving as Vice Chair of Sport for the FISU Technical Committee since 2025. 

This also marks the appointment of Sára Tímea Sepreny of Hungary as Chair of the Slalom Committee. Her commitment to the development of Canoe Slalom in Hungary, coach and judge education, and participation in international competitions is widely recognised. Her experience as a national team athlete, head coach, and development coordinator has actively contributed to the growth of canoe slalom in Hungary. 

We wish our new Chairs every success in their new roles and would like to thank the former Chairs, Jovana Stanojevic in Sprint and Colin Woodgate in Slalom, for their dedication and commitment to date.

Finance Committee

Chaired by Peter Karai, the Finance Committee met on October 20 to review key points: 

• ECA Financial Regulations 
• Hosting fees 
• Accreditation fees 

The meeting resulted in several proposals later submitted to the Board for approval. 

Partnerships and Sponsorships 

This quarter included strategic meetings with partners Nelo, Plastex, and Pzeisheng, assessing communication actions during 2025 Championships, sponsor hosting, and future plans for 2026. All partners expressed their intention to continue collaborating with the ECA, and discussions with new potential partners showed promising prospects.

ECA Board Meetings

Two Board meetings took place: 

• November 8-9 (in Ljubljana, Slovenia) 
• 11 December (online) 

Main topics discussed: 

• Paddle Europe Headquarters 
• Hosting and accreditation fees 
• Implementation of the new name Paddle Europe 
• TV broadcast & streaming strategy 
• Financial rules 
• 2027 Calendar 
• Bidding process for 2028 
• Recreational Committee development 
• Sustainability 
• Strategic Plan 2026+ 
• Jury 2026 
• Technical committees (CSP & CSL Chair) 
• Sponsoring and partnerships 

Several countries submitted proposals to host the new ECA Headquarters: Hungary, Switzerland (with ICF), Azerbaijan, and Serbia. 
The Board is currently analysing scenarios and maintaining discussions with all candidates. 

Internal Operational Meetings

To ensure coordination and the implementation of Board decisions, five meetings were held between the President and ECA staff during this period. 

Relations with the ICF 

The ECA has actively contributed to the ICF Governance Review Project through various working groups and by participating in Executive Committee and Board meetings.

Slalom Athletes Shine in Sydney

Europe once again confirmed its dominance by winning every title at the ICF Slalom World Championships held in Penrith, Australia. 

• Men’s C1: Nicolas Gestin (FRA) 
• Women’s C1: Klaudia Zwolińska (POL) 
• Men’s K1: Titouan Castryck (FRA) 
• Women’s K1: Klaudia Zwolińska (POL) 
• Women’s Kayak Cross: Angèle Hug (FRA) 
• Men’s Kayak Cross: Joseph Clarke (GBR) 

A special highlight is Klaudia Zwolińska, who claimed titles in both women’s canoe and kayak – an exceptional achievement. The strong results of Team France, earning three world titles, illustrate the positive legacy of Paris 2024. 

 By Jean Zoungrana, Chair of the European Canoe Association