A group of Ukrainian canoe and kayak athletes, including Olympic medalists and world champions, have taken delivery of training equipment and weights generously donated by the Eleiko Group.
Eleiko not only donated the important training equipment, they also organised its transportation and delivery to the athletes’ Romanian base in Snagov.
ICF President, Thomas Konietzko, said Eleiko did not hesitate to make the donation when the company became aware of the plight of the Ukrainian athletes.
“It is a generous gesture that has shone a light of hope for a group of people who desperately need the support of the international paddling community at this time,” Mr Konietzko told Eleiko.
“Your actions reflect well on our sport at this difficult time, and you and your team should be very proud of the role you have played in making life a little more tolerable for a group of athletes who, through no fault of their own, have become stranded a long way from home.”
Among the athletes training in Romania are the Tokyo 2020 women’s C2 silver medalists, Liudmyla Luzan and Anastasiia Chetverikova, members of the men’s C4 500 world championship team, and members of the men’s K4 500 world title holders.
The donated equipment will prove a valuable addition to their training program ahead of the 2022 season. The first international competition will be held in Racice, in the Czech Republic, next week.
Ukrainian athletes fleeing the war in their home country have found themselves scattered around Europe, including in Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, France.