Plans for this year’s International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships were presented in Milan as four Italian paddlers spoke of their excitement over the prospect of competing on home waters.
A presentation press conference for Milan 2025 was held on the 47th floor of the Allianz Tower on June 10.
Italian Canoe Kayak Federation (FICK) President Luciano Buonfiglio was on the speakers’ top table along with Maurizio Devescov, General Manager of Allianz S.P.A Federica Picchi, the Undersecretary with responsibility for Sport and Youth of Lombardy, Martina Riva, Councillor for Sport of the Municipality of Milan, and Roberto Maviglia, Councillor delegated to the Idroscalo of the Metropolitan City.
Giovanni Malago, President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), also attended the presentation for the World Championships which will be staged from August 20 to 24.
"We can't wait to start,” said Mr Buonfiglio.
“We have worked intensely and with great enthusiasm on the organisation of this World Championship and we are ready to welcome the athletes who will arrive from all over the world.
“We are sure that Italy, Milan and the Idroscalo, will once again demonstrate that they have all the characteristics to organise a unique and engaging event that can offer fans exciting and high-level races.
“We as Italy are ready and we will certainly be protagonists with our Azzurri.
“I want to thank the Minister for Sport and CONI for their support, as well as the Lombardy Region, the Municipality of Milan, the Metropolitan City and RAI.
“I am sure that it will be an event that will leave an important sporting legacy.”
Carlo Tacchini, who won Olympic silver along with Gabriele Casadei in the men’s canoe double at Paris 2024, was among the Italian paddlers that were present at Allianz Tower.
Other included sprint kayaker Tommaso Freschi and Paracanoe paddlers Christian Volpi and Amanda Embriaco, who all expressed their joy over the opportunity to shine in front of home fans.
“I made my debut in the seniors at the 2015 World Championships in Milan, so it is fantastic for me to be able to return to compete with greater awareness and an Olympic medal around my neck, with Gabriele Casadei,” said Tacchini.
“We are a really close-knit partnership, and we want to get the most out of it.”
Freschi said: “The presence of our families, friends and the Italian public will certainly be a very important stimulus.
“The Idroscalo is home for us, and it will be wonderful to compete for world titles on those waters.”
Volpi said: “The goal of every athlete is to win, and we are preparing ourselves as best we can to be protagonists and make the people who will come to cheer for us with pride.”
Embriaco added: “I did my first races at the seaplane base.
“From there I started again as a Para athlete and it will be great for us to compete in a World Championship in the place where we grew up.”
More than 1,500 athletes and technical staff from 60 nations are expected to be part of the World Championships in August.
Among the Milan organisers’ plans is to stage the first “green” World Championships courtesy of the Developing Environmental and Circular Knowledge (DECK) project.
Led by FICK and supported by the ICF, the DECK project aims to set environmental standards for sustainable canoeing events.
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