FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA, ONTARIO (April 27, 2023) – Over 20 sprint paddlers from across Canada have booked their tickets to the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint and Para World Cup in Szeged, Hungary.
The World Cup team trials, held at the Chula Vista Elite Training Centre, served as a selection regatta for the ICF Canoe Sprint and Para World Cup running from May 11-14.
“The sprint competitive season is off to a strong start with strong performances from our squad at our selection trials,” said Chief Technical Officer, Ian Mortimer. “With World Championships and Pan Am Games ahead this season, the World Cup will be an exciting opportunity for us to test ourselves on the International stage.”
Eight Olympic and Paralympic paddlers from Tokyo were selected to the team, including 2022 two-time world champion, Katie Vincent.
“We are really excited to be heading over to Hungary for the World Cup,” said Vincent. “With lots of veterans on our team, I think our experience will be our strength in this pre-Olympic year. Everyone on the team has learned a lot from each other in the past year and this world cup event will be a great representation of our collaboration and growth as we continue to develop on the road to Paris!”
Paralympian Brianna Hennessy is looking forward to another powerful paddling season, following a busy winter season and cross-training with the National wheelchair rugby team.
“I am extremely grateful for the winter training with my coaches and teammates who have supported and helped me push through some difficult times for my family recently,” said Hennessy. “I am honoured to have been selected for the team and am humbled to have another opportunity to compete on the world stage alongside so many phenomenal athletes that I admire in both kayak and canoe.”
You can tune into live World Cup coverage on the ICF website. Stay tuned for World Championship team selections happening at the second set of trials in June at the Olympic Basin from June 23-25.
To learn more about selection criteria, click here.
2023 Sprint World Cup Team
Para Club
Gabe Ferron-Bouius | Rideau Canoe Club |
Brianna Hennessy | Ottawa River Canoe Club |
Erica Scarff | Mississauga Canoe Club |
Mathieu St-Pierre | Club de canotage du Shawinigan |
Women’s Canoe Club
Sophia Jensen | Cascades |
Julia Lilley Osende | Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club |
Sloan MacKenzie | Cheema Aquatic Club |
Katie Vincent | Mississauga Canoe Club |
Men’s Canoe Club
Connor Fitzpatrick | Senobe Aquatic Club |
Tyler Laidlaw | Sack-a-Wa Canoe Club |
Alix Plomteux | Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac-Beauport |
Craig Spence | Cheema Aquatic Club |
Women’s Kayak Club
Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka | Rideau Canoe Club |
Maren Bradley | Rideau Canoe Club |
Riley Melanson | Cheema Aquatic Club |
Michelle Russell | Cheema Aquatic Club |
Madeline Schmidt | Rideau Canoe Club |
Men’s Kayak Club
Laurent Lavigne | Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières |
Simon McTavish | Mississauga Canoe Club |
Nicholas Matveev | Balmy Beach Canoe Club |
Pierre-Luc Poulin | Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac-Beauport |
Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @CanoeKayakCAN for social updates.
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About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 26 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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For more information:
Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca
Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca