Less than half way into 2015 and already Paracanoe has undergone a lot of change. With official acceptance into the 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games, Paracanoe now has a new classification system and an established set of events for the Games. Paracanoe is changing quickly in preparation for its Paralympic debut and so is the Canadian high performance program. Here are few updates:

Christine Gauthier to compete at World Cup 2

Christine Gauthier will race in Duisburg at the second World Cup taking place May 22 to May 24. This is the only World Cup of the three to include Paracanoe events. Gauthier was selected to race based on her results from last year. Her top result at World Championships was a silver in the Women’s K1 200 TA. Gauthier will be reclassified in Duisburg according to the new kayak classification system which uses leg, trunk and on-water tests. Based on the combined scores athletes are classified into KL1, KL2 or KL3.

Dave Waters to race V1 at the Pan American Canoe Championships

Dave Waters will travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil to race at the Pan American Canoe Championships taking place on June 20. While the news of V1 events not being included in the 2016 Paralympic Games came as a great disappointment to V1 athletes, Waters continues to show his determination and will represent Canada with pride. CanoeKayak Canada remains optimistic about the prospect of V1 being included in 2020.

Marc Creamer joins in as Paracanoe Coach

Marc Creamer is working under contract with CanoeKayak Canada as an Associate Coach. He will work extensively with Christine Gauthier and will also be Canada’s Paracanoe Coach at international competitions. Mark Granger will continue to oversee the Paracanoe program in his role as a Podium Coach.

Julie Beaulieu takes on role as Paracanoe Team Manager

National Programs Manager Julie Beaulieu will also be in Duisburg to manage Paracanoe. In addition to managing Gauthier’s participation at the World Cup she will also be learning about the new classification system to make for a smooth transition for Canadian paracanoe athletes. Her greater role as Paracanoe Team Manager includes organizing training camps, logistics and support services for the Para-team.