The final qualification list for the debut of canoe marathon at next year’s The World Games has been released, with 23 countries set to be represented over the two-day competition.
The qualification list was based on results from this month’s ICF canoe marathon world championships in Pitesti, Romania. The 23 countries represent four continents, with Oceania unable to qualify any athletes because of Covid travel restrictions and injury.
Each nation is only permitted to send one athlete for each of the men’s and women’s K1. That athlete will be eligible to race in both the short course and standard distance marathons.
There will be a maximum of 20 starters in each of the men’s and women’s events. Each qualified country will now determine the athlete who will compete in Birmingham.
Hungary, South Africa, Spain, Japan and Denmark will be among the nations to have athletes in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Romania, Ireland and Serbia will have a starter in the women’s competition only, while Belgium, Slovakia and the Netherlands will have only male starters.
2022 will be the first official appearance of canoe marathon on The World Games programme. The sport did appear as an invitational competition at the 2013 The World Games in Cali, Colombia.
Competition will be held at the picturesque Oak Mountain State Park, 30 kilometres south of Birmingham. It’s the largest state park in Alabama. The short distance races will be contested on Monday, July 11, and the standard distance events will be on the following day, July 12.
The full list of qualified countries;
MEN’S K1 | WOMEN’S K1 |
South Africa | South Africa |
Argentina | Argentina |
Japan | Japan |
Denmark | Hungary |
Poland | Portugal |
Spain | Great Britain |
France | Spain |
Hungary | Ireland |
Norway | Serbia |
Great Britain | Norway |
Portugal | Italy |
Czech Republic | Denmark |
Sweden | Germany |
Germany | Czech Republic |
Russian Canoe Federation | Russian Canoe Federation |
Netherlands | Poland |
Italy | Sweden |
Slovakia | France |
Belgium | Romania |
USA | USA |