CANOE KAYAK CANADA NAMES NATIONAL TEAMS FOR 2026 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SEASON

OTTAWA, ON – June 24, 2026 – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) announced today its national teams for a landmark international summer season, with Canadian paddlers set to compete at the highest levels of sprint and paracanoe across multiple international events. Following National Team Trials, the CKC Sprint High-Performance Committee approved nominations across six competitions, representing one of the most expansive international team announcements in recent years.

The rosters span the Senior World Championships, World Cup #3, Pan American Championships as well as the U23 World Championships, U23 Pan American Championships, Junior (U18) World Championships, and Olympic Hopes.

“This summer represents a tremendous opportunity for our athletes across every level of the program. From our senior and paracanoe competitors on the world stage to the next generation of talent at Junior Worlds and Olympic Hopes, we are excited to see Canada represented with depth and ambition,” said Ian Mortimer, Chief Technical Officer, Canoe Kayak Canada. The breadth of this announcement reflects the work our athletes, coaches, and clubs have put in, and we look forward to a strong season ahead.”

The 2026 rosters include a number of Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic paddlers, including Katie Vincent (Mississauga Canoe Club) – the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in the women’s C-1 200m- who returns alongside Paris 2024 bronze medallist Sloan MacKenzie (Cheema Aquatic Club).

On the paracanoe side, Brianna Hennesey (Ottawa River Canoe Club) holds the distinction of being Canada’s first-ever Paralympic medallist in the sport, having won silver in the VL2 200m at Paris 2024, where she also served as a Closing Ceremony flag-bearer for Team Canada. Fellow Paralympians Erica Scarff (Mississauga Canoe Club) and Mathieu St-Pierre (Club de Canotage de Shawinigan) also return, both competing in Paris.

Rounding out the experienced cohort are Paris 2024 Olympians – Sophia Jensen (Cascades Canoe Club), Connor Fitzpatrick (Senobe Aquatic Club), Michelle Russell (Abenaki Aquatic Club), Laurent Lavigne (Club de Canoë-Kayak de Trois-Rivières), Nick Matveev (Balmy Beach Canoe Club), Toshka Besharah (Rideau Canoe Club), and Riley Melanson (Senobe Aquatic Club).

Selections were made based on the published selection criteria available at canoekayak.ca/teams/disciplines/sprint/.

Senior World Championships | World Cup #3 | Pan American Championships

ParaCanoe — Senior World Championships | World Cup #3 | Pan American Championships

U23 ICF Canoe World Championships

U23 Pan American Championships

Junior (U18) ICF Canoe World Championships

Olympic Hopes