President's Message Q2 2026

Dear ICF Family, 

I hope this message finds you well. It has been another busy and rewarding period for our sport, with significant progress both on and off the water. I am pleased to share some of the key highlights and milestones that continue to strengthen our global paddling community. 

Adaption of the Olympic Canoe Sprint Programme 

The IOC's evaluation of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games reinforced the need for all Olympic sports to demonstrate strong global participation, fan appeal and long-term relevance. To ensure Canoe Sprint remains well positioned within the future Olympic programme, the ICF has taken a proactive approach to shaping the sport's future. 

Last year, we established the Future Olympic Programme Working Group for Canoe Sprint, led by Toshi and comprising 10 international experts, athlete and coaches. Following extensive consultation and analysis, the group presented its recommendations to the ICF Board of Directors, which agreed, in principle, that the future Olympic Canoe Sprint programme should be centred on 500-metre racing, complemented by long-distance events. 

This direction is fully aligned with the IOC's recently adopted strategy for future Olympic sports and disciplines, which places greater emphasis on reducing the cost and complexity of the Games while increasing their global appeal, universality and the overall athlete experience. 

The Board's decision marks an important milestone for our sport. It provides a clear vision for the future of Canoe Sprint, one that strengthens our Olympic position, creates new opportunities for athletes and future host cities, and inspires the next generation, while preserving the heritage and sporting excellence that have always defined our discipline. This decision does not concern the final Olympic programme for 2032 and has no bearing on the disciplines featured in World Cups and World Championships. 

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to every member of the Working Group for their outstanding commitment, expertise and vision. 

146th IOC Session 

The IOC officially launched its "Fit for the Future" strategy during the Session, a vision that not only shares the same name as the strategy adopted by the ICF four years ago, but also reflects the same commitment to innovation, sustainability and the long-term development of sport. 

In addition to introducing the new discipline-based methodology for evaluating the future Olympic programme, the strategy announced another historic initiative: for the first time, every athlete competing at the Olympic Games will be eligible to receive a USD 10,000 "Fit for the Future Olympian Grant". This is a significant step in recognising and supporting athletes, and one that complements the increased services and athlete-centred initiatives the ICF has introduced in recent years. 

During the IOC Session, I had the opportunity to meet with several key IOC stakeholders, including Olympic Programme Commission Chair Karl Stoss, IOC Executive Board Member Li Lingwei, and other members of the Olympic family, to further reinforce the value and contribution of our disciplines to the Olympic Movement. 

The discussions were constructive and encouraging. Together with the strong support of our IOC members Tony Estanguet and Jessica Fox, as well as the dedicated advocacy of the ICF leadership and our wider canoeing community, it gives us every reason to be confident that our sport remains well positioned within the future Olympic programme and that we are pursuing the right course. 

Key Strategic Board Decisions 

In addition to setting the strategic direction for the future of Olympic Canoe Sprint, the Board of Directors met several times in recent months, both in person in Budapest and online, to discuss a number of key priorities for the future development of our sport. 

Following extensive and constructive discussions, the Board formally endorsed several important proposals, including the organisational review, the competition rule changes recommended by the Competition Commission, the Paddle Worldwide rebrand, the evolution of our Statutes, and the budget for the next two years. These proposals will now be presented to the Congress for its consideration and approval. 

I would also like to highlight the significant progress the ICF has made in strengthening its financial position over the past two years. Thanks to the generous support of the Hungarian and Chinese governments, together with a new strategic approach to broadcasting, marketing and event allocation, we have substantially increased our revenues. As a result, for the first time, our dependence on IOC funding has fallen below 50% of the ICF's total income. 

This stronger financial position has enabled us not only to maintain our reserves but to grow them well beyond. Looking ahead, future revenue growth will be reinvested directly into the development of our sport. We are therefore proposing to double the financial support provided to our Continental Associations while increasing investment across a broad range of development programmes, digital and IT services, events, and strategic initiatives that will benefit athletes, National Federations, and the global canoeing community. 

2026 Season Underway 

Our international season officially commenced in May, and in just two months we have already successfully delivered numerous world-class events across our disciplines, including the launch of the innovative Olympic pathway to LA28 for Canoe Sprint. Despite a range of logistical and weather-related challenges, 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. 

We witnessed record participation at the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged, with 684 paddlers representing 62 countries. We also recorded the highest participation in history across several of our non-Olympic disciplines, not only in terms of athlete numbers but also spectator attendance. During the Canoe Marathon World Cup in the Chinese city of Bazhong, more than 300,000 local spectators gathered along the banks of the course to cheer on the athletes. This not only created an electric atmosphere for the competitors, but also demonstrated that our strategy of expanding our events to new hosts, globalising our competition calendar, and increasing the profile of our international events is delivering real results. 

Other Highlights 

At the IWGA General Assembly in Lausanne, I had the opportunity to pay tribute to outgoing President José Perurena for his outstanding leadership of the IWGA over the past 12 years. Patchi has been a remarkable figure in international sport, and I am delighted that, as our Honorary President, he will now have more time to contribute to the continued development of canoeing. I also congratulated the newly elected IWGA President, Ms. Anna Arzhanova, a long-standing friend and strong supporter of our sport. During our discussions, she reaffirmed her commitment to maintaining the strong position of paddle sport within the World Games movement. 

In Budapest, I had the pleasure of signing, on behalf of the ICF, a cooperation agreement with the Hungarian University of Sport Science, the Hungarian Canoe Association and the Katalin Kovács Canoe Academy to launch a unique 

English-language international master's programme, MSc Sport Coaching – Canoe and Kayak Sprint, which will commence this September. This initiative is much more than an academic programme, it is a strategic investment in the future of our sport, creating a clear pathway for athletes and coaches to continue their careers beyond competition while helping to develop the next generation of highly qualified coaches for our global canoeing community. 

Last but certainly not least, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our National Federations, athletes, organisers, partners, and everyone who continues to contribute to the growth and success of canoeing around the world. 

Following the decision taken by the Congress in Antalya, we will formally rebrand the ICF as Paddle Worldwide at the Congress in Oklahoma City this July, marking the beginning of an exciting new era for our sport. I look forward to seeing many of you there as we open this historic new chapter together and continue shaping an even stronger future for the global paddling community. 

Thomas Konietzko, President of the International Canoe Federation