ICF Wildwater Canoeing Committee activities Q3 2025

A packed 2025 season for Wildwater Canoeing

It was an exciting and action-filled season for the world of Wildwater Canoeing. Right after the successful Junior and U23 World Championships in Solkan, Slovenia in early July, the first World Cup races took place in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since Banja Luka will host the World Championships next year, many nations took the chance to race there, competing in three competitions – sprint, classic, and mass start. While it was unfortunate that the famous course through the Vrbas Canyon couldn’t be used this time, the races took place right in the city centre – a great way to bring the sport closer to the public.

Highlights from around the world

In August, several international races took place. One of them was held on the Potomac River in Maryland, United States, serving as a qualifier for the US team. At the same time, European teams were already racing in Lipno and on the World Championship course in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.

Sprint World Championships in Ceske Budejovice

The World Championships featured a tough and technical course, but that didn’t stop athletes from enjoying the competition. The Czech and French teams stood out once again, with strong performances across the board. More than 25 countries from four continents took part, competing in 10 different events. The star of the competition was local favorite Matej Vanek, who took home two golds, one silver, and one bronze in the C1 and C2 categories. His sister Klara Vankova was equally impressive, winning two gold medals in kayak.

Read more about the championships here

Development programme

Once again at this World Championships, there was a dedicated team of coaches and volunteers who supported athletes from several nations. A big thank you goes to the Czech Canoe Union, which purchased 10 new boats and made them available for our development activities. Several athletes were able to benefit directly from this support. The Committee will now focus on organising the transport of these boats to upcoming competitions.

Shaping the future of the sport

Before the World Championships, the Committee came together to discuss key topics: possible rule changes, the future of team events, development strategies, and challenges faced by event organisers. This meeting also helped prepare for the second Nations Meeting of the year, where representatives discussed new ideas for the race calendar and development opportunities to grow the sport further.

World Cup finale in Skopje

To wrap up the season, the final World Cup races took place in Skopje, North Macedonia. Held on the scenic Matka Canyon course, the event featured two thrilling sprint races and marked a perfect end to the season. A total of 19 countries joined the competition right after the World Championships, enjoying warm weather and ideal water conditions. In the overall World Cup standings, French athletes swept the men’s titles:

• K1: Maxence Barouh
• C1: Nicolas Sauteur
• C2: Correntin Come & Clement Monjanel

Among the women, the wins were split across different nations:

• K1: Ana Steblaj (Slovenia)
• C1: Cecilia Panato (Italy)
• C2: Mona Clavadetscher & Hannah Mueller (Switzerland)

Check out the full results and recap