Olympic and Paralympic stars have gathered in Milan for the 2025 International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships.
It is set to be a fantastic event in the Italian city with 36 world titles up for grabs including 24 in Canoe Sprint and 12 in Paracanoe.
With a day to go until the World Championships gets underway, we pick out five things to watch from the competition that runs from August 20 to 24.
Click here for startlists and live results in Milan
Carrington back to lift New Zealand
One month ago, Lisa Carrington was planning to watch the World Championships from the comfort of her couch. But the eight-time Olympic champion now finds herself back in her boat ready for a tilt at another world crown. The 36-year-old was due to skip the 2025 season but has been drafted into the team to replace the injured Olivia Brett. There are question marks over how Carrington will perform having not starred since winning a hat-trick of gold medals at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 but her presence in the team will be a big boost for New Zealand who failed to pick up a medal in the women’s kayak four 500m at the opening two ICF Canoe Sprint World Cups in Szeged and Poznan. Carrington will team up with Tara Vaughan – 14 years her junior – in the women’s kayak double 500m before they join Alicia Hoskin and Lucy Matehaere in the K4.
Italians aiming to make home advantage count
It has been 10 years since Milan last staged the World Championships and Italy will be hoping to mark it with medals. In 2015, the Italian team were unable to deliver success, and they will be aiming to ensure there will be no repeat of that this time around. The pressure will be on Gabriele Casadei and Carlo Tacchini who be expecting to be on the podium after securing Olympic silver in the men’s canoe double 500m in Paris last year. Oher contenders for medals include Samuele Burgo and Tommaso Freschi in the men’s kayak double 500m and Susanna Cicali in the women’s kayak single 500m, while Christian Volpi, Viktoryia Pistis Shablova and Veronica Biglia are among the home Paracanoe paddlers seeking success.
Baby boost for Dostal and Mailliard
The canoeing family has grown with the arrival of two babies from star paddlers this year. Chile’s Maria Jose Mailliard and France’s Maxime Beaumont welcomed little Theo into the world in March before Czechia’s Josef Dostal and Anezka Paloudova announced the birth of their first child Jonatan in July. Only a few months after giving birth, Mailliard was back on the water, competing at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged where she ranked fourth in the women’s C1 5000m. She is now set to compete over 200m, 500m and 5000m in C1. Dostal has been enjoying life as a new dad and an Olympic champion following his success at Paris 2024, while looking to put down fast times. He picked up bronze in Szeged and silver in Poznan in the men’s K1 1000m. The Czech will race over 500m and 1000m in the K1.
Henshaw leads star-studded British team in Paracanoe
After topping the Paracanoe medal table at the Paralympic Games in Paris, the British team are set to be amongst the medals again. Three-time Paralympic champion Charlotte Henshaw leads the team as she goes for gold in the women’s KL2 and women’s VL3. Laura Sugar, Hope Gordon and David Phillipson are also expected to challenge for titles. There is no Emma Wiggs due to injury but Jeanette Chippington will be eyeing the women’s VL2 200m crown along with Canada’s Brianna Hennessy. Brazil also arrive with a strong team with Fernando Rufino de Paulo, Igor Alex Tofalini and Luis Caros Cardoso Da Silva poised to battle it out for titles. Other Paralympic champions in the field include Algeria’s Brahim Guendouz, Hungary’s Peter Kiss and Chile’s Katherinne Wollermann, while Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Serhii Yemelianov is back after a three-year hiatus, starring for Georgia after switching allegiances from Ukraine.
Rising stars ready to make mark on road to LA28
With a fresh Olympic cycle underway, it’s a chance for new stars to emerge as they set their sights on Los Angeles 2028. Judging by the start of this season, there are plenty of talented paddlers ready to step up to the big stage. Among those include Australia’s Kailey Harlen and Natalia Drobot who struck gold in the women’s K2 500m in Poznan, and Hungary’s Agnes Anna Kiss and Bianka Nagy have been in stellar form in the women’s C2. Spain’s Viktoriia Yarchevska showcased her great promise with victory in the women’s C1 200m in Szeged where South Africa’s Hamish Lovemore came agonisingly close to upsetting home favourite Balint Kopasz in the men’s K1 1000m and has been backed to star in Milan. Jonas Ecker of the United States will also be determined to pick up from where he left off after winning two U23 world titles in the K1 in Montemor-o-Velho last month.
Full coverage of the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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