Twelve years after it hosted the very first ICF Wildwater Sprint World Championships, the historic Ice Channel in Augsburg will this year once again host a world titles.

The recently re-developed Augsburg course was unveiled last year when it hosted the 2022 ICF Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross World Championships, celebrating 50 years since the venue hosted the very first canoe slalom Olympic competition in 1972.

This year it will again host the world’s best, this time in wildwater sprint, the fastest discipline in white water racing. It will be the third time this famous venue will host the planet’s best wildwater paddlers, having hosted an ICF world cup in 2017.

Event organiser Horst Woppowa is expecting up to 20 nations to compete in this year’s world championships, which will take place on June 10 and 11, one week after the Ice Channel hosts an ICF canoe slalom world cup.

"Augsburg has such an important place in the history of our wildwater canoe sport," ICF Wildwater Committee chair, Manuela Gawehn, said.

"This was where, in 2011, we launched our first sprint world championships. So it is exciting that 12 years later, we return to this famous venue for another world titles.

"The Augsburg community loves their canoe sports, and they always organise top class events. I know all athletes, coaches, officials and fans will be very much looking forward to these world championships."

The official event page, which includes race schedules and other information, can be found here.

Horst Woppowa also introduced the former multiple World Champion Bernhard Heinemann in the team, as the supervisor of the development team on site. Fabian Dörfler will lead the organising team, while Marianne Stenglein will be in charge of media. Marianne was part of the team in 2011.

Other staff members include Gisela Bickel, Andrea Ehrenberger, Christa Woppowa, Karlheinz Englet, Julian Lindolf, Hans-Peter Pleitner.

The final exact number of collaborators will be much bigger, and anyone who would like to join the team should contact Horst Woppowa.

At the moment the number of international starters is assumed to be 120 plus coaches and 30 - 40 staff members of Kanu Schwaben, so catering for 200 people is expected.

Development athletes can be accommodated in the BLZ Bundesleistungszentrum, so there are short distances for this group as well.

The experienced Czech Liba ROLECKOVA will be the main referee at the World Championships, while the WWC committee will consist of Manuela Gawehn, Peter Schofield, Mathias Gerard, Tomislav Crnkovic, Annalena Kuttenberger, Jiminez Prats, Tomas Slovak, Marin Millar and Thomas Rosset.

As soon as more relevant information is available, bulletin number two will be sent to federations. The official event homepage can be found here.

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