Liudmyla Luzan was the undisputed canoe queen in Milan, finishing with four gold medals, while Serhii Yemelianov of Georgia returned with a bang at the 2025 International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships. 

Here is what the medalists had to say: 

VL3 

Hope Gordon (Great Britain): I'm just, yeah, so happy. I felt a bit hectic in the tent this morning, warming up, and everything was just flooding around. But as soon as we got on the water, I actually felt quite calm. It's flat, it’s raining, and yeah, a perfect day. I think last year, it was going really well up until just 10 days before Paris. Unfortunately, I  picked up an injury. But I was pleased with the results. 
I did the best that I could, considering the situation I was in. But this year, I really felt like I had more together. This trip, both my parents turned 60 this year. A big happy birthday for them. A big year for the family. So I am chuffed to hopefully give them the best birthday present. 

Charlotte Henshaw (Great Britain): This is a, you know, what we're very used to. It was a bit hectic when we got here this morning, everybody trying to rally around, so the prep was a bit frantic, but when we get out on the water, you have to deliver whatever the conditions. 
That's the beauty of an outdoor sport. It has been a very long week, paddled probably more than I have before in a competition, but it's over. Like I said last year, a double gold. If that is the pinnacle in terms of result, then I'm still very happy and I'm just really proud that I'm able to still sort of bring back silveware for the team and provide the exciting races because that's what we want for people pulling up in Paracanoe.  

Yuqingyan Cai (China): I am very excited about the medal. Compared to kayak, I have only been training for half a year in the va’a. In a kayak, the power is more towards the waist. So this was a different experience for me. But I will keep going. I look up to all these athletes. Ten years ago, when I became a Paracanoe athlete, becoming a Paralympic champion has always been a dream. Hopefully, I can emulate what they have done and replicate that in LA28.  

VL2 

Anastasia Miasnikova (AIN): I have nothing to say, but just happy. We have had this terrible weather before, but it does not affect me a lot. I am pleased to have had a very good competition.  

Brianna Hennessy (Canada): When I don't have my block in there, I essentially, that's what I used to stabilise my lower body. So without it, I'm floppy in the boat. So essentially, I spent my race trying to stay in the lane rather than sprinting. 
So it was a boat malfunction. It's only happened to me one other time, and it was my very first race in Hungary. So, very bad luck today. 

I'm still very happy to medal for Canada, but you know, I guess today is not my day. The stars did not align. But there's always a next year, and I'll be coming. 

Jeanette Chippington (Great Britain): I am just pleased. It's been a really tough year because. We have our programme, and I was taken off that. I love paddling, I love racing. This is my happy place, so even happier now getting that bronze. It's a great start. I have had bruises from that hailstorm from the other day. That was tough. But I like this. I want trciky conditions so I can show my skill.  

K2 500m 

Anna Pulawska (Poland): It is really surprising for me. I'm really happy. We did it. I am going to start my holiday now. I am going to stay at home with my family. You never know what the other teams are doing, so it's surprising that I know how to work. I will be ready for next year, and I hope it can be better. At the Olympic Games, it was not great for us. Now, we have come back to be the best.  

Natalia Drobot (Australia): It feels pretty nice. I think it is important to do good races, but to be on the podium and togther with a teammate is even better. The weather, I think, got better. I could actually see where I was going. A big thank you to everyone supporting from home. I think it is really nice to have that. You can definitely feel it eventhough they are watching through the screen. 

Paulina Paszek (Germany):I think we are really happy with the result, but also a bit sad because we wanted the gold. The girls from Poland really deserved it. Next year,  maybe we can catch them. After the Olympic Games, we did not train much in winter. We needed some time to chill and rejuvenate. But, it's more important to build a good team and to focus on that, and maybe a little bit more fun. We want to focus so we can do good every year.  

C1  200m 

Liudmyla Luzan (Ukraine): This is magic. It is amazing. Awesome. Now I am gogin to sleep and celebrate and comeback even stronger. I did everything I could to achieve this victory, and although it wasn't an easy start, I tried my best to secure it, and I am incredibly happy. 

Yarisleidis Cirilo Duboys (Cuba): For me, this is very hard, the time is very difficult for me, but I won a silver and I am happy. My motivation is very important. It is my coach. He is always with me and is very special. 
Nelson is very important, and thanks to him for motivating me.  

KL3 

Serhii Yemelianov (Georgia): I feel, I really feel, you know? But it's hard. The last three years have been hard to change my National Federation. But I came prepared to show my results here. The next event for me is the 2025 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Gyor, Hungary. So, thanks to my family and coaches, and Georgia, for all the support. I pushed in 2024, but three years to go until the next Paralympic Games and I will be ready.  

Miqueias Elias Rodrigues (Brazil): I am very pleased with the result. It was a bit difficult and I expected a better result, but in the end I am happy. I know the final is always a bit difficult, and Dylan is a big athlete. I knew to expect a tough battle, and it was. 

Dylan Littlehales (Australia): I'm very happy. I was focusing on university studies this year, trying to finish my psychology degree. So, I was hoping just to come in and get in the middle of the A final and see if I could scrape onto the podium, which I did. I'm over the top, over the moon. I've done an undergraduate, now I'm doing a postgraduate honours. 
So I just submitted my thesis a week ago. So I am trying to balance these two; it has been tough this year, but we made it work, and now, I have a master's degree to become a fully accredited psychologist, so hoping to get that done by LA28. So, it's going to be a busy cycle, but it started off well. 

KL2 

David Phillipson (Great Britain):I haven't been training full-time. Well, I haven't trained as many times as you would in the previous years, I'm trying to enjoy my life, and it's just worked. Now I've put my weight on, but my technique and mental strength have just pulled me through. And it was tight that one. But yeah, buzzing. I didn't think I had that. 
It's just paid off. I mean, I'm still enjoying it and not getting too stressed about it. #BeMoreDave. 

Christian Volpi (Italy): It is really an emotional moment because of where we are. are, for where we are. Coming second in my country. 
It's very important for me that I can do it in my country. This is my first medal at the World Championships. 
We worked so much for the second part of the race because I have a really good start. I don't have the endurance. This year, we worked on that. So I think it is slowly starting to show results. 

Azizbek Abdulkhabibov (Uzbekistan): It has been a very difficult competition for me, but I made it count. Thanks, ICF and the Organising Committee, for supporting me. I will take some time off and do some winter training to make myself faster.  

C2 500m 

Zakhar Petrov (AIN): The race was good. We have been preparing for this race for a while, and we are happy to have won. Now, we move on to the next year. We do not want to be too fast because we cannot show our real strength to everyone. So we keep quiet.   

Yuebin Yu (China): It is an honour to compete with all these excellent athletes and show what we can do at the highest level. The medal, that’s what we are coming for. The canoe discipline is now as strong as our country.    

Kristof Kollar (Hungary): We feel amazing. It was a very hard race because of the weather. 
It's raining and it was a bit cold. But we had a really great start, and the last 200m was very strong for us. We are very proud. The first 100m for us is the most important. It is a very good feeling.  

K2 500m 

Levente Kurucz (Hungary): It feels amazing. We executed our tactics really well. I am really happy to race with Bence. This is my first gold medal at the World Championships. I have never won at the junior and U23 level. So I am pleased to do it here with Bence. I look up to him and it's been amazing.  

Messias Baptista (Portugal): It was a very tough race, very close race. The K2 500m is always this way, like the K4. We did a very good race, I think. We left the block very good. The middle part was also good. 
In the end, we gave everything. I really thought that we would win, but on lane 9, they were faster. We gave it all on the water. It is what it is. We cannot be sad for second place. Two medals in two Olympic distances are very good. The future is very promising.  

Jacob Schopf (Germany):It was a tough final as there was a lot of racing on the course. I think given the circumstances, we are quite happy. I think in the post-Olympic year, it is always nice to win. But you also need to do some off-time. You can use the time to relax. Now, we have some more energy for the next three years. I think it is a good result for the training we did.