Ottawa, ON (May 13, 2021) – Canada’s top paracanoe paddlers are set to compete in Szeged, Hungary at the ICF canoe sprint and paracanoe World Cup from May 13-15. Over 130 athletes from 37 countries will battle for remaining paracanoe quotas available for Tokyo. There are four quotas still up for grabs in each of the five Paralympic events.
Six Canadian paracanoe paddlers are competing in Szeged this week, with five of them aiming to secure a quota for the 2020 Paralympic Games. Canada has already secured one berth in the Women’s KL2 200m with Andrea Nelson securing qualification at the CKC Olympic and Paralympic trials in Burnaby, BC. Andrea also finished 5th at the 2019 World Championships.
“This is our biggest team yet to compete at a World Cup event. We were very impressed with the ongoing performance of both our veterans and some new athletes to the sport,” said CKC Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “For three of our athletes, this will be their first World Cup racing experience against some of the best in the world. Those that have yet to qualify will have to finish in the top 4 eligible crews to join Andrea Nelson in Tokyo as part our nominated Paralympic Team.”
“It is not as simple as just looking at the results because some countries competing will have already qualified a spot. Additionally, if an athlete races and qualify in both the Vaá outrigger canoe and the kayak events then the quota is assigned to the Vaá so it opens up a kayak spot. It will come down to the very end, when all the racing is done. We certainly look forward to supporting and cheering on the team this weekend!”
Paracanoe made its debut at the Paralympics in 2016. The paracanoe programme has been expanded from six races to nine in Tokyo, with two Vaá categories added. There were 60 athletes competing in Rio, and 90 will get the opportunity to paddle for gold in Japan.
Paracanoe World Cup team roster:
| Andrea Nelson | KL2 Women’s 200m | Balmy Beach, ON |
| Erica Scarff | KL3 Women’s 200m | Balmy Beach, ON |
| Gabriel Ferron-Bouius | KL3 Men’s 200m | Ottawa, ON |
| Brianna Hennessy | VL2 Women’s 200m | Ottawa, ON |
| Mathieu St-Pierre | VL2 Men’s 200m | Shawinigan, QC |
| Mike Trauner | VL3 Men’s 200m | Pembroke, ON |
We encourage families, friends and fans to show your support and send some love for our athletes on social media, tagging @canoekayakcan.
To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications for Canadian paracanoe paddlers, click here.
What:
ICF Canoe Sprint and ParaCanoe World Cup
When:
May 13-15, 2021
Where:
Szeged, Hungary – Map
How to Follow:
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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 24 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