OTTAWA, ONTARIO (May 13, 2025) – Over 35 Canadian sprint and slalom paddlers have booked their tickets for the 2025 ICF international season.
The 2025 National Team Trials were held at the Montreal Basin (sprint) and Chilliwack, BC (slalom) this past weekend, serving as selection events for the ICF Canoe Sprint and Para World Cup, the ICF Slalom World Cups, Slalom Senior, U23 and Junior World Championships.
Several Olympic and Paralympic paddlers return to action this month with eyes set on LA 2028, including 3-time Olympic medalist Katie Vincent, bronze medalist Sloan Mackenzie and Paralympic silver medalist Brianna Hennessy.
The Sprint World Cup season kicks off on May 16 in Szeged, Hungary, followed by a second Sprint World Cup event and the Paracanoe World Cup on May 22 in Poznan, Poland.
“It’s an exciting moment to start a new quadrennial with a mix of experienced athletes and new talent across our Paracanoe, Sprint and Slalom Teams”, said Ian Mortimer, CKC’s Chief Technical Officer. “With the targets of Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Milan, and Slalom and Cross in Penrith at the end of the season, these World Cups will be a great opportunity to get back into competition mode and test ourselves against the world’s best as we build step by step towards Los Angeles.”
The Slalom World Cup event schedule debuts on June 5th in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain, with the U23 and Junior World Championships held in July and Senior World Championships taking place in Penrith, Australia, in early October.
“We’re incredibly proud of the performances and resilience shown by our athletes during the selection races in Chilliwack,” said Senior Manager, High Performance and Coach Development, James Cartwright. “The dedication and focus displayed across the team were exceptional and reflect the hard work put in by the athletes and coaches over the winter preparation cycle. As we look ahead to the upcoming international races, our team is committed to delivering personal best performances at the World Cups and building towards the World Championships later this season.”
You can tune into live coverage of all these events on the ICF website.
The Sprint and Slalom High Performance Committees confirmed the following athlete nominations:
2025 SPRINT WORLD CUP TEAM
| MEN’S KAYAK | WOMEN’S KAYAK |
| Alex Canning | Toshka Besharah |
| Ian Gaudet | Chloe Bryer |
| Vincent Jourdenais | Callie Loch |
| Cameron Low | Riley Melanson |
| Nicholas Matveev | Michelle Russell |
| MEN’S CANOE | WOMEN’S CANOE |
| Andrew Billard | Jacy Grant |
| Émile Bouvier | Sophia Jensen |
| Connor Fitzpatrick | Sloan Mackenzie |
| Zachary Kralik | Katie Vincent |
| Alix Plomteux | Zoe Wojtyk |
| MEN’S PARACANOE | WOMEN’S PARACANOE |
| Gabriel Ferron-Bouius | Brianna Hennessy |
| Mathieu St-Pierre | Erica Scarff |
2025 SLALOM WORLD CUPS AND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
| MEN KAYAK | WOMEN KAYAK |
| Alex Baldoni | Léa Baldoni |
| Trevor Boyd | Lois Betteridge |
| Mark Zielonka | Béa Olson |
| MEN KAYAK CROSS | WOMEN KAYAK CROSS |
| Alex Baldoni | Léa Baldoni |
| Trevor Boyd | Lois Betteridge |
| Mark Zielonka | Béa Olson |
| MEN CANOE | WOMEN CANOE |
| Alex Baldoni | Lois Betteridge |
| Tyler Gevaert | |
| Daniel Parry |
2025 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
| MEN KAYAK | WOMEN KAYAK |
| Tyler Gevaert | Paige Zimmerman |
| Daniel Parry | |
| Michal Smiesko |
| MEN KAYAK CROSS | WOMEN KAYAK CROSS |
| Tyler Gevaert | Paige Zimmerman |
| George Nor | |
| Michal Smiesko |
| MEN CANOE | WOMEN CANOE |
| Tyler Gevaert | Paige Zimmerman |
| George Nor | |
| Daniel Parry |
2025 UNDER 23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
| MEN KAYAK | WOMEN KAYAK |
| Alex Baldoni | Béa Olson |
| Owen McKay | |
| Isaac Zimmerman |
| MEN KAYAK CROSS | WOMEN KAYAK CROSS |
| Alex Baldoni | Béa Olson |
| Lachlan Faraday | |
| Isaac Zimmerman |
| MEN CANOE | |
| Alex Baldoni | |
| Owen McKay | |
| Isaac Zimmerman |
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 29 Olympic and Paralympic 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