Katie Vincent of Canada, Sebastian Brendel of Germany, Emma Wiggs of Great Britain, and Eslam Jahedi of Iran have all been elected to the International Canoe Federation Athletes’ Committee for 2025-2029.
Voting for the Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe representatives took place at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Milan, Italy, which concluded today.
A total of 23 paddlers from 14 countries, including Olympic, Paralympic, and world champions, were among the candidates nominated for this year’s elections, with four of the eight athletes being confirmed.
Paris 2024 gold medallist Vincent secured 43.93% votes to beat Yoana Georgieva of Bulgaria, Birdigitte Hartley of South Africa, ICF refugee athlete Saman Soltani, Xu Shixiao of China, to bag one of the Canoe Sprint spots.
Among men, superstar Brendel, a multiple world and Olympic medallist who retired this year, won with 53.64% votes.
He beat competition from Jackson Collins of Australia and Carlo Tacchini of Italy.
In Paracanoe, three-time Paralympic gold medallist Wiggs won unanimously after standing unopposed while Jahedi earned 61.54% votes to beat Paris 2024 champion Brahim Guendouz of Algeria.
“I'm absolutely delighted to be voted on. I think it's a really important thing that we have athletes' voices in the decision-making process and being able to provide feedback to the people who make the decisions at the ICF,” Wiggs said.
“I think it's been really different for me to witness the other side to being on the water this week and being able to interact with my colleagues who are here paddling, probably more freely than I would have been if I had been racing myself.
“I'm really excited to be able to hopefully be a voice for them and also to be back on the startlines with them next year.
“I will promote Paracanoe and give it the platform that it deserves, trying to make this world and these environments as universally accessible as we can, so that Paracanoe athletes feel part of it.
“It’s about trying to embrace difference and diversity, and make the world and our sport more universally accessible.
“Hopefully the future is really bright within this amazing organisation.”
Jahedi said: “I say thank you to the ICF and the Paracanoe family.
“I am incredibly happy to be elected.
“I will do everything I can to be a voice for my colleagues and make a difference.
Vincent said: “It's really exciting and I am grateful to the community who thought I would be good for this.
“I care a lot about the sport, not just at home but around the world. So, I hope that we can continue to be a good voice for the ICF and keep moving our sport in the direction it's going.
“I think right now in sport, there's just a lot about commercialisation and how we can keep promoting our sport around the world.
“The Olympic Games is great, but it would be nice for more people around the world to be aware of our sport, so we can keep celebrating all the success of our athletes.
“I'm looking forward to working with the ICF.”
Brendel said: “I am so happy to be elected. Now, I have an opportunity to work for the athletes in the ICF as part of the committee.
“Hopefully, I can do a good job and address the interests of the athletes. I think the last ICF Athletes’ Committee did a really good job.
“There are so many topics to work on, anti-doping would be one of them. But I am looking forward to all of it.”
Four more athletes - two from Canoe Slalom and two from non-Olympic disciplines will be elected later this year, with gender parity guaranteed.
Canoe Slalom paddlers will have an opportunity to vote when Penrith, Australia, stages the ICF Slalom World Championships from September 29 to October 4.
In October, the ICF Board of Directors will meet to confirm the final two members from the non-Olympic disciplines after recommendations by the other six elected representatives.
