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Livestream & Schedules

Full Paris 2024 Olympic schedule

Full Paris 2024 Paralympic Schedule

Slalom Schedule

Sprint Schedule

Paracanoe Schedule

Paris 2024 Livestream (CBC)

Teams

Slalom 

Sprint and Paracanoe

Olympic Athlete Bios

Para Athlete Bios

Venues

Vaires Sur Marnes Nautical Stadium

Merch

CKC Paddle to Paris Official Merch

Posters

Olympic and Paralympic Poster – Sprint, Slalom, Para (Digital Download)  – Black or Grey

CKC will host the Sprint and Slalom Competition Development workshop in an online format with webinars taking place throughout the fall and early winter. Coaches that are interested in participating in this workshop series are invited to apply by completing the application form below. Participation in all workshops is mandatory to receive credit for completion of training. A maximum of sixteen candidates will be selected for each stream, and applications must be received by end of day November 10, 2024. Priority will be given to coaches that satisfy the prerequisites and/or that are identified by their Provincial/Territorial Organization as potential 2025 Canada Games coaches. Selected coaches must prepare bring a 2-minute video clip of a club athlete’s kayak and canoe stroke technique to share and analyze their paddling technique.

APPLICATION CAN BE FOUND HERE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

OTTAWA, ON (May 24, 2024) – Canada’s top slalom paddlers, have been named to the Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) World Cup, U23 and Junior World Championship teams this season. Fourteen athletes secured their spot throughout the selection process finalized during the National Team Selection Trials in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec held from May 10 to 12, 2024. 

“I’m excited to welcome our paddlers back to our program this summer to race internationally as we work towards Paris 2024 and the Junior and U23 World Championships,” said James Cartwright, Senior High-Performance Manager. “It’s inspiring to see the level of racing these athletes continue to demonstrate and we are all looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together this summer.” 

Daniel Parry is a familiar face on the ICF Slalom World Cup and Junior World Championship scene placing 15th in men’s canoe in 2023 and 21st in 2022.  

“I’m very happy to be selected into this year’s junior national team and I am looking forward to representing Canada this summer during the Junior World Championships in Liptovsky Mikuláš. I have done a lot of training in preparation for Worlds this year, and I am excited to see what results I can achieve in both K1 and C1.” 

Olympic paddler Florence Maheu will represent Canada proudly once again, looking forward to competing in the Prague Kayak Cross qualifier.  

“I am quite excited to compete in kayak cross in Prague. Kayak Cross has progressed a lot in the past couple years, and it has brought a new kind of energy to the sport. I am thrilled to have this chance and I will do my best to try to earn a spot on the podium.” 

The Slalom World Cup season starts off next weekend in Augsburg, Germany and continues through June with competition in Prague, Czechia and Krakow, Poland. July will be an exciting time for slalom paddlers as the beginning of the month starts off with the U23 and Junior World Championships from July 1-7 in Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia.  

Slalom athletes, Lois Betteridge and Alex Baldoni, were recently nominated to the Paris 2024 Canadian Olympic Team, and will be competing at the Paris Summer Olympic Games from July 27 – August 5 at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. 

World Cup Team 

Women’s K1
Lois Betteridge – ON
Florence Maheu – QC
Léa Baldoni – ON
Alternate for World Cup 3: Béatrice Olson – ON 

Women’s C1
Lois Betteridge, – ON
Léa Baldoni – ON 

Women’s Extreme 

Lois Betteridge – ON 
Florence Maheu – QC
Léa Baldoni – ON
Béatrice Olson – ON (Replacement for Lois Betteridge in World Cup 2) 

 Men’s K1 

Alex Baldoni – ON 
Maël Rivard – ON
Trevor Boyd – AB 

Men’s C1 

Alex Baldoni – ON
Daniel Parry – ON
Isaac Zimmerman – ON 

Men’s Extreme 

Alex Baldoni – ON
Trevor Boyd – AB
Isaac Zimmerman – ON
Michal Smiesko – BC (Replacement for Alex Baldoni in World Cup 2)
Alternate: Maël Rivard – ON 

U23 World Championship Team 

Women’s K1 

Léa Baldoni – ON
Béatrice Olson – ON 

Women’s C1 

Léa Baldoni – ON 

Women’s Extreme 

Léa Baldoni – ON
Béatrice Olson – ON 

Men’s K1 

Alex Baldoni – ON
Maël Rivard – ON
Mark Zielonka – ON 

Men’s C1 

Alex Baldoni – ON  

Men’s Extreme 

Alex Baldoni – ON
Maël Rivard – ON
Mark Zielonka – ON

Junior World Championship Team 

Men’s K1 

Isaac Zimmerman – ON
Daniel Parry – ON Lachlan Faraday – ON 

Men’s C1 

Isaac Zimmerman – ON
Daniel Parry – ON
Owen McKay – ON 

Men’s Extreme 

Isaac Zimmerman – ON
Lachlan Faraday – ON
Michal Smiesko – BC
Callum Bender – QC 

You can find the list of events at Canoe Kayak Canada. 

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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MEDIA CONTACTS:
 

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
C: 613-530-6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca 

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
C: 905-912-1322
E: enother@canoekayak.ca 

VALLEYFIELD, QUEBEC (May 8, 2024) – Canoe Kayak Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced the roster of Team Canada canoe/kayak slalom athletes selected to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The athletes are:

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France)
Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, Ont.)

Baldoni and Betteridge both qualified for Paris 2024 by winning their respective C-1 events at the 2024 COPAC Canoe Slalom Americas Olympic Qualifier in mid-March. Paris 2024 will mark the Olympic debut of both athletes.

Baldoni was a finalist in men’s C-1 at the 2023 International Canoe Federation (ICF) U23 World Championships, where he placed 10th. He was a semifinalist there in men’s kayak cross, placing fifth overall. He went on to win the silver medal in men’s kayak cross and place fifth in the men’s C-1 event at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. In 2021, he achieved Canada’s best-ever performance in men’s canoe slalom when he placed sixth at the ICF Junior World Championships.

“The last four years have been incredible, but also very hard while training. I have worked really hard and spent countless hours on the water trying to improve on every possible aspect, whether technical, psychological, physical preparation, relaxation and recovery. Now I have finally qualified for my first Olympic Games! I am very much looking forward to experiencing such a great event and to becoming an Olympian!”

After gaining a great appreciation for Canadian values and culture while spending a month each year in Canada throughout his childhood, Baldoni, who was born and raised in France but holds dual citizenship, chose to represent his mother’s home country as part of Team Canada on the international stage.

Betteridge, who has been representing Canada at the senior ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships since 2017, continues to build on her road to Paris after winning two silver medals at Santiago 2023 in women’s C-1 and women’s kayak cross. The day after she earned her Olympic qualification, she won gold in the women’s K-1 and silver in the women’s C-1 at the 2024 Pan American Championships.

“I just returned from a training camp at the Olympic course in Paris and the venue is very impressive!” said Betteridge. “I’m really excited to see some of my friends and family sitting in the stands, cheering for Team Canada, in a country that is very passionate about canoeing. The energy at this event is going to be wild!”

In addition to competing in the women’s C-1 event in which Betteridge earned her Olympic quota spot, the 26-year-old will also compete in the inaugural Olympic women’s kayak cross competition, as well as the women’s K-1 event. Baldoni will compete in both the men’s C-1 and kayak cross events.

“We are thrilled to be racing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where canoe slalom has a huge fan base!” said Team Leader and three-time Olympian, James Cartwright. “The atmosphere at the slalom venue is going to be enormous and our team has become very comfortable training and racing in France. We have been preparing in France since 2021 and it has become our second home and we are looking forward to the big show!”

Paris 2024 will mark the Olympic debut of kayak cross – an exciting new competition format in which four athletes race head-to-head through a whitewater course. Kayak cross was on the competition program for both the Lima 2019 and Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Canada has been competing in canoe/kayak slalom at the Olympic Games since the sport’s debut at Munich 1972. While a Canadian has yet to win an Olympic medal in canoe/kayak slalom, David Ford came closest with his fourth-place finish in the men’s K-1 event at Athens 2004. Women’s canoe was included on the Olympic programme for the first time at Tokyo 2020, making the sport gender balanced.

Canoe/kayak slalom will take place July 27 to August 5 (Day 1 to 10) at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. 

“A huge congratulations to Alex and Lois for their first Olympic selection on the canoe/kayak slalom team. Their speed, ability and precise boat control allowed them to overcome challenges and push their limits rapid after rapid. I am very proud of them,’’ said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission. ’’Experiencing the atmosphere of the Games is unique and I wish them a rich and successful journey.“

Team Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also includes the following coaches and support staff:

James Cartwright (Ottawa, Ont.) – Team Leader
Anthony Colin (Pau, France) – Coach
Ian Mortimer (Ottawa, Ont.) – Chief Technical Officer
Michal Staniszewski (Gatineau, Que) – Coach

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organisations.

The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Colleen Coderre, Communications Lead
Canoe Kayak Canada
C: 613-530-6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Tara MacBournie, Program Manager, Sport Communications
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is thrilled to be a recipient of Community Sport For All grant from the Government of Canada (Sport Canada). 

The Community Sport for All Initiative (CSAI) supports NSOs in establishing more accessible and locally organized sport programs aimed at reducing barriers to participation, particularly among Black, Indigenous and racialized communities as well as 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, people with low incomes and newcomers.  

The funding has been allocated to 24 organizations, clubs and communities including: 

Provincial Sport Organizations: 

• Alberta Whitewater Association (AWA) 
• Canoe Kayak BC (CKBC) 
• Canoe Kayak Saskatchewan (CKS) 
• Manitoba Paddling Association (MPA) 

Clubs: 

• Banook Canoe Club 
• Club de Canotage de Shawinigan 
• False Creek Racing Canoe and Kayak Club 
• Gananoque Canoe Club 
• Greater Edmonton Racing Canoe and Kayak Club 
• Mississauga Canoe Club 
• North Bay Canoe Club 
• Orenda Canoe Club 
• Ottawa River Canoe Club 
• Ottawa River Runners 
• Otterburn Boating Club 
• Petrie Island Canoe Club 
• Pisiquid Canoe Club 
• Rideau Canoe Club 
• South Niagara Canoe Club 
• Sudbury Canoe Club 
• Sydenham Canoe Club 
• Wai Nui Canoe Club 
• Wascana Racing Canoe Club 
• Yorkton Canoe and Kayak Club 

These clubs and communities successfully applied for the CKC CSAI program, called ‘We Paddle’. With this funding, several communities across the country will be better equipped to increase participation in their sport at the community level while removing barriers for equity-deserving groups. 

“Canoe Kayak Canada is thrilled to be working with so many partners on our piloting of the We Paddle program and coach training,” says Kenna Robins, Director of National Program Development at CKC.  “We have great provincial and club projects underway, including Alberta Whitewater’s project, Adaptive Paddling programming for individuals with different needs and abilities, Wai Nui Canoe Club’s introduction to paddling program for new Canadians, and many more.  We are excited to be able to share all the activity going on across the country in the coming months.”  

The Government’s Community Sport for All Initiative supports National Sport Organizations (NSOs) in establishing more accessible and locally organized sport programs aimed at reducing barriers to participation. Through an investment of $16.7 million, 39 NSOs can give Canadians access to and stay involved in sport. 

CKC will be featuring the benefits of the CSAI program at our clubs in the coming months. For more information on the Sport Canada program, click here.  

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (March 14, 2024) – Canadian slalom paddlers win the 2024 Olympic qualifier at COPAC Canoe Slalom Pan American Championships, securing an Olympic quota spot for Canada in both women’s and men’s canoe (C1 events).

Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) was the first Canadian down the course, dominating her races in both semifinals and finals, winning the event to cement a women’s C1 quota spot for Canada in Paris.

“I am over the moon excited,” said Betteridge. “I was aiming for Tokyo 2020 and didn’t make it there so being the one to secure this spot for Canada means everything.”

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France) also topped the leaderboard in the C1 event finals, locking up another quota for Canada on the men’s side.

“I’m very relieved and now the pressure is off for the rest of this event,” said Baldoni. “There were good options on the course and it worked out well for me today. Now I can focus on the work I need to do over the next couple of months.”

CKC’s High Performance Senior Manager, James Cartwright is looking forward to building upon the success in Brazil. “It was a great day for Team Canada! We have now secured both men’s and women’s canoe quotas here in Rio and we can celebrate this achievement with appreciation for all the hard work the athletes and coaching team have put forth over the last year.”

Athlete selections and nominations to Team Canada are still forthcoming for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Team Canada will compete in canoe-kayak slalom competition in Paris from July 27-August 5 at the new whitewater stadium in Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

For full results click here.

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

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is proud to honour the many coaches who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, initiative and competitive success throughout the 2023 season with the CKC Coaches Recognition Award.

This award is presented annually to coaches who have coached an athlete or crew either for nomination to a CKC National Team (Senior World Championships, Junior World Championships, Carded Athlete or National Development Team) or for a gold medal at the Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships. Congratulations to all !

Below is a complete list of Coach Recognition Award recipients for the 2023 season:

2023 Coaches

Adam Baird

Adam Mayo

Adam Oldershaw

Aidan Martell

Alexa Irvin

Andrea Nicholls

Andreas Dittmer

Andy Parry

Anna Hetzler

Anna Negulic

Ava Carew

Bethany Baert

Blake Hara

Bret Himmelman

Cayley Fortier

Chad Brooks

Cheyenne Farquharson

Chris MacPherson

Christian Hall

Csom Latorovszki

Daniel Winter

Dave Waters

Dominic Gomez-Granger

Doug Ellery

Doug Tutty

Edward Colhoun

Elliot Smith

Eric Mihalovic

Evan Landry

Frédéric Loyer

Helen Savin

Hélène Gervais

Hunter George

Igor Nikitovic

Jacob McKenna

Jacob Price

Jan Kruk

Jeff Houser

Jennifer Gratto

Jerome Seremak

Jessica MacKay

Joel Hazzan

Jocelyn Taylor

Jordi Cadena

Josh Nowen

Kalob Grady

Karen Furneaux

Karen Lukanovich

KC Dalton

Kevin McIntyre

LA Schmidt

Leeya Nagpal

Liam Smedley

Marc Creamer

Marie Rousseau-Demers

Maris Jacobs

Mark Granger

Marlee MacIntosh

Mathieu Pelletier

Michael Holroyd

Mike Kerrivan

Mike Robinson

Morgan Pugh-Toole

Nick Lamontagne

Niklas Hansen

Ornmadee Baxter-Lovo

Patrick Gagne

Patrick Lester

Peter Lombardi

Peter Nor

Philippe Laliberté

Rob Smith

Rob Stott

Robert Baert

Romy Chamberland

Rowan Hardy-Kavanagh

Sam Raiche

Samantha Morse

Savannah Sullivan

Simon Coward

Scott Feindel

Scott Oldershaw

Stan Marek

Tessa Nagai

Tony Hall

Canada’s top slalom paddlers captured five medals at the Pan American Games in Los Andes, Chile yesterday.

Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) secured Canada’s first slalom medal of the day in the women’s C1 event.  Betteridge made quick work of a very challenging course and weather conditions in Río Aconcagua to secure the silver behind Brazil with a time of 119.69.

“I’m super stoked. This is my second Pan Am medal, as I also won a silver at the Pan Am Games in Lima,” shared Betteridge.  “It would have been nice to finish in first but being second behind one of the best in the world is pretty exciting. It was a challenging course, there were not a lot of white-water features so you need to pull really hard to get some of the moves but I dug deep today and got the job done.”

Mael Rivard (Ottawa, ON) was next up on the podium in the men’s K1 event, securing the bronze medal behind USA and Brazil. “It was a really hard race, the course was pretty hard and very shallow but I really just went for it and it worked out.”

Léa Baldoni (Pau, France) also won bronze in the women’s K1 event with USA and Brazil taking gold and silver respectively. “There was a lot of fighting right until the end with some touch penalties but I still had the third fastest time of the day so I’m pretty happy to bring home a medal for Canada.”

The highly anticipated Kayak Cross events marked an exciting end to the Slalom competition with four boats simultaneously launching off a ramp, placed more than two metres above the water, splashing onto the course, and battling through the course as a full-contact sport.

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France) breezed through the semi-finals to fight in the finals against Brazil. Baldoni crossed the line in 2^nd place, feeling redeemed from his disappointment of just missing the podium in the K1 event earlier that day.

“It was really hard after my K1 race to get back into focus for this race but my sister (Léa Baldoni) helped me a lot and she was there for me and that’s what makes the difference in the end,” he said.
“It wasn’t my best start off the ramp but it was really tight with Brazil and it was a very good fight so I’m really happy with this silver medal.”

Betteridge added another silver to her medal count in the women’s kayak cross event. She crossed the line in 4^th, however, once the penalties were applied against her competitors, the outcome was a 5^th medal for Canada. “To be able to stand on the podium twice today is pretty exciting. I met my goals here in Los Andes, which was to medal in both my categories. It feels unreal.”

Tokyo Olympian Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.) was unfortunately knocked out in the Kayak Cross time trials on Friday.

RESULTS

TEAM CANADA PAN AMERICAN SLALOM TEAM

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France) – C1 and Kayak Cross
Léa Baldoni (Pau, France) – K1 and Kayak Cross
Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, Ont.) – C1 and Kayak Cross
Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.) – Kayak Cross
Maël Rivard (Ottawa, Ont.) – K1 and Kayak Cross

Canada’s top Slalom paddlers are ready to ride the waves in Río Aconcagua, Los Andes, Chile for the 2023 Pan American Games! Starting Friday October 27 until Sunday, October, 29, this event will showcase the top Slalom athletes who are currently on their journey to Paddle to Paris. Please find below important information including schedules and how to watch live.

Quick Links:

Official Santiago 2023 Website
Day to Day Schedules
RESULTS

Team Canada Pan Am Games Hub

Live Coverage of the Slalom events :
Pan Am Sports Channel
CBC Coverage

TEAM CANADA PAN AMERICAN SLALOM TEAM

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France) – C1 and Kayak Cross
Léa Baldoni (Pau, France) – K1 and Kayak Cross
Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, Ont.) – C1 and Kayak Cross
Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.) – Kayak Cross
Maël Rivard (Ottawa, Ont.) – K1 and Kayak Cross

RACE SCHEDULE (subject to change):

FRIDAY OCTOBER 27

SATURDAY OCTOBER 28

Event                                                                                                                 Athlete

SUNDAY OCTOBER 29

Event                                                                          Athlete

MINDEN, ONTARIO (JULY 6, 2023) – Canada’s best whitewater paddlers will be gathering at the Minden Whitewater Preserve on the Gull River from August 21st to 27th to compete for National titles in Canoe and Kayak Slalom, Freestyle, Downriver, and Kayak Cross. International athletes will be present to compete for International Canoe Federation ranking points at the Minden Open Race which will run concurrently.  

More than a hundred athletes will be competing in multiple disciplines over the course of the week, keeping competition fierce as the provinces battle for points towards the Brian Greer Cup, the Provincial Team title. With International Canoe Federation ranking points also up for grabs, athletes from other nations are expected to attend, further deepening the field and adding to the excitement.

All are invited to this free event, which includes the thrilling new whitewater discipline of kayak cross. Pitting four athletes head-to-head, kayak cross is a must see as it is set to make its Olympic Games debut next year in Paris.

“We are excited to welcome athletes from across the country and around the world to Minden,” said Eric Betteridge, Organizing Committee Co-Chair. “This world class venue has been the site of many National Championships as well as the 2015 Pan Am Games and three World Cup events. This will be a great opportunity for our younger athletes to gain valuable experience competing against national and international athletes, as it is an international ranking race.”

“I am beyond excited to see that Nationals are being held in Minden after a four-year hiatus. It is such a great venue with a challenging whitewater course. I have many  memories from Minden either from attending team selection or Nationals and it is always a lot of fun competing there. Good luck to everyone!” – Florence Maheu, National Whitewater Slalom Team, Olympian.

Location: Minden Whitewater Preserve, 1020 Bethel Rd, Minden, ON

Schedule:

Aug 23: AM – Kayak Cross Time Trial; PM – Kayak Cross Elimination 

Aug 24: AM – Freestyle; PM – Development Race 

Aug 25: AM- Down River Classic;  PM – Down River Sprint

Aug 26: Slalom Age Group Races  (Heats 1 and 2)

Aug 27: Slalom Open Races (Semi-finals and Finals)

For updates and more information follow  Whitewater Ontario on  Instagram and Facebook or visit the event 2023 Whitewater Nationals website.

About Whitewater Ontario

Whitewater Ontario is a volunteer-driven organization uniting, supporting, and sustaining the inclusive development of the whitewater paddling community and resources within the province. The Minden Whitewater Preserve, where the 2023 Nationals are being held, is one of the many focal points for recreational and competitive paddling in the province. Ontario is well represented on national teams by Slalom, Freestyle and Downriver athletes. Most recently Ontario Slalom athletes brought home two silver medals from the 2023 Pan Am Championships  and are representing Canada on the World Cup Circuit. Canadian Freestyle athletes are some of the best in the world – recently, Freestyle athletes brought home 5 silver medals from the 2022 World Championships and World Cups. Ontario Slalom, Freestyle and Downriver athletes comprise a large proportion of the National teams representing Canada at Senior, Junior and U23 World Championships.  

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For more information :

Eric Betteridge 

Co-Chair 2023 Whitewater Nationals Organizing Committee

613-806-2532

Eric.Whitewater@gmail.com

Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom team announced for Santiago 2023 

OTTAWA (June 28, 2023) – Canoe Kayak Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom team selected to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

The Team Canada slalom paddlers for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:

Athletes
Alex Baldoni (Pau, France)
Léa Baldoni (Pau, France)
Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, Ont.)
Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.)
Maël Rivard (Ottawa, Ont.)

The five athletes qualified for Team Canada at the Pan American Championships held in Três Coroas, Brazil in late April where they collected a total of five silver medals.

“Being named to the Santiago team is very exciting,” said Lois Betteridge, silver medallist in the women’s C-1 at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. “Getting to compete for the second time, as part of Team Canada is something very special. It feels amazing to be going as part of a strong team and I hope to be able to contribute to the success of Canada at the Pan American Games!”

No stranger to the major Games atmosphere, Florence Maheu competed in the women’s K-1 event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, finishing 23rd overall. Santiago 2023 will be her first Pan American Games appearance. It will be the first major Games for Maël Rivard as well as siblings Alex and Léa Baldoni. Dual citizens reigning from Pau, France, the brother and sister duo are proud to be representing their mother’s side of the family as a part of Team Canada on the international stage.

Canoe/kayak slalom made its Pan American Games debut at Toronto 2015. Canada has since won seven Pan Am Games medals in the sport. Kayak cross, an exciting new competition format in which four athletes race head-to-head through a whitewater course, made its Pan American Games debut at Lima 2019 and will make its Olympic debut at Paris 2024.

Team Canada will have athletes competing in all of the canoe/kayak slalom events.

“The whole team is delighted for the opportunity to represent Canada in Santiago this fall,” said Canoe Kayak Canada Senior High Performance Manager and three-time Olympian in canoe slalom, James Cartwright. “This season is going to be a marathon with our Olympic qualifications starting in September in London and I know our athletes will also be very motivated to perform as part of Team Canada in Santiago!”

Canoe/kayak slalom will take place October 27-29 (Day 7 to 9) at the Río Aconcagua, Los Andes.

“I’m truly excited to welcome five new athletes on Team Canada who will represent us in canoe/kayak slalom,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission. “With a good mix of experienced and newer athletes, the team will surely take our breath away on the whitewater course! An amazing venue and opportunity to showcase this thrilling sport.”

Team Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom coaching staff for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:

Coaches
Anthony Colin (Mansle, France) – International Coach
Michal Staniszewski (Gatineau, Que.) – Next Gen Coach

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.

The latest Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Colleen Coderre, Communications Lead
Canoe Kayak Canada
C: 613-530-6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother, Communications Coordinator
Canoe Kayak Canada
C: 905-912-1322
E: enother@canoekayak.ca  

Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Santiago 2023 Sport Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ON (May 25, 2023) – Canada’s best under-23 and junior slalom paddlers have been named to the CKC World Championship teams this season. Fourteen athletes secured their spot throughout the selection process competing in international races in France and Spain and at the Kananaskis selection race in Alberta, Canada.

“I’m excited to welcome our paddlers back to our program and to kick off the 2023 season” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager. It’s inspiring to see the level of paddling in these young athletes, our junior and U23 team is competitive, and I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in Krakow.”

Rising U23 slalom star Maël Rivard (Ontario) is looking forward to the big season ahead saying, “I am stoked to be returning to Krakow for U23 World Championships this summer. The venue is great for racing and I know it well. Excitement levels will be high with the European Games wrapping up in Krakow just before. This event will be an important competition in my preparation for the Senior World Championships in September.”

Béatrice Olson (Ontario) will represent Canada in her last year of eligibility as a junior this upcoming season. “I am very excited to be part of the team that will be going the 2023 Junior World Championships,” shared Olsen. “I have been to Krakow a few times before and have always enjoyed racing there because of the challenging stoppers on the course. This will be my last year as a junior so my focus will be on delivering my best performance of the season.”

Members of the team will attend several international competitions in Slovenia, Czech Republic and Slovakia alongside the development squad in the lead up to the world championship event. The development athletes will attend the international competitions and return to Canada before the U23 and Junior World Championships. The International Canoe Federation Slalom U23 and Junior World Championships will take place from August 16-20 in Krakow, Poland.

You can find the list of events at Canoe Kayak Canada.

*Qualified for both U23 and Junior teams, competing at Junior World Championships.

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
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ON (April 5, 2022) – Canada’s top slalom paddlers have been named to the CKC Senior World Cup and World Championship teams this season. Seven athletes secured their spot at the Pyrenees Cup selection races in Pau, France and La Seu d’Urgell, Spain.

“I’m excited to welcome our paddlers back to our program this summer to race the world cups and world championships,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager. “We have what is going to be the longest international competition season ahead of us this summer ending with the Pan American Games in Santiago in late October. Our team is very motivated to return to another full season of international racing as we move right back into Olympic Qualification for the Paris 2024.”

There are many familiar faces returning to the international circuit including slalom siblings, Alex and Léa Baldoni from Ontario.

“I’m very glad I will have the chance this year again to represent Canada in the international events,” shared Léa Baldoni. “The 2023 season means a lot to me because it’s the first step towards 2024 Olympic qualification.”

Tokyo Olympian, Florence Maheu is also returning to competition in the women’s kayak as well as the new and exciting event, slalom kayak cross. The extreme event is slated to make its’ Olympic debut at 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

“Im really looking forward to competing in two disciplines on the World Cup circuit,” said Maheu. ”I’m starting to feel more comfortable in the new kayak cross discipline and I’m looking forward to seeing how the recent equipment changes I have made in kayak cross are displayed on the international scene ahead of Olympic qualification.”

The U23 and junior World Championship teams will be announced following the 2023 Kananaskis selection event in May. Additionally, any remaining senior quota positions may be filled at that time.

The ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup circuit begins on June 2 in Augsburg, Germany.

You can find the list of events at Canoe Kayak Canada.

2023 CKC Senior Slalom Team

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @CanoeKayakCAN for social updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother

Communications Coordinator

enother@canoekayak.ca

OTTAWA – Canoe Kayak Canada is delighted to announce the 2022 recipients of the Club Development Award and Coach Developer Award. The awards are presented on an annual basis to coaches and club leaders who have made significant achievements in their communities. This year, 16 coaches were nominated and the winners of this year’s awards were announced during the 2022 CKC Annual Summit.

“Coaches and club leaders across Canada are an instrumental part of the success of our sport and make an impact in the lives of our athletes and our sport system each and every day,” said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of High Performance and Coach Development. “We’re proud to recognize all of this year’s nominees. Taking time to formally recognize the accomplishments of our great coaches goes a long way to say thank you and to recognize the impact these individuals have in within paddling community.”

CKC Club Development Award

The Club Development Award is presented annually to a coach, club leader or volunteer who has clearly demonstrated his or her abilities at developing a club or the sport through grassroots programs such as creating a new club or program or promoting the sport through the club.

Jessica Riley has had a tremendous impact on both her community and the sport of Canoe Kayak. Jessica’s commitment to her programs have garnered growth and excellence at Yorktown Canoe and Kayak Club.

Through Jessica’s commitment, Yorkton Canoe and Kayak Club is a thriving community-based club that has regained its foothold as a training facility with high performance athletes who train year around. By developing and coaching a diverse range of competitive, recreational, and adaptive programs, Jessica has rebuilt the membership into a club that enrols over 500 people in programs annually.

CKC Coach Developer Award

The Coach Developer Award is presented to a coach who contributes to the training of new Canoe Kayak coaches outside of, or in addition to their regular coaching duties.

Jerome Seremak is an incredible force in coaching at the Manitoba Canoe and Kayak Club. He is described by many as one of the most motivating, caring, and hard-working coaches in the community. With a deep passion for paddling, he not only aids in athlete progression but truly cares for each athlete he leads.

Patrick Lester is a mentor and leader in the Ontario Coaching community serving various roles on the CKO Sprint High Performance Committee, as the Eastern Ontario Divisional Coaching Representative, as a 2022 Canada Games Coach and an integral part of Carleton Place Canoe Club (CPCC).

As a coach, Pat inspires all athletes, young and young at heart at Carleton Place Canoe Club. He believes in his athletes and cares about them both professionally and personally. From the parents on the shoreline watching their children to those on the water, Pat has made CPCC a second home for all

2022 Canoe Kayak Canada Excellence Nominees:

Sébastien BETTEZ – CANOE KAYAK TROIS-RIVIÈRES

Laura CLEMENHAGEN – COLLINGWOOD PADDLING CLUB

Lori DAVIS  – ROCKY CANOE CLUB

Kim GAUDET – BANOOK CANOE CLUB

Peter HODGSON – COLLINGWOOD PADDLING CLUB

Jeff HOUSER  – PISIQUID CANOE CLUB

Patrick LESTER  – CARLETON PLACE CANOE CLUB

Kevin McINTYRE – BANOOK CANOE CLUB

Jessica RILEY – YORKTON CANOE AND KAYAK CLUB

Graham SCHIEBEL – CALGARY CANOE CLUB

Angie SCHRODERUS – ROCKY CANOE CLUB

Jerome SEREMAK -MANITOBA CANOE AND KAYAK CLUB

François St.AUBIN -WHITEWATER ONTARIO

Katy STEWART – RICHMOND HILL CANOE CLUB

Savannah SULLIVAN – MASKWA AQUATIC CLUB

Robin THOMSON – ATLANTIC DIVISION CANOE KAYAK CANADA

CKC congratulates all who were nominated and to the 2022 recipients. For more information on the CKC Excellence Awards please click here.

CKC wants to provide an overview of all the Committee/Council Openings that will be fulfilled during the Summit Time Frame (Nov/Dec).

WHITEWATER:

* Contact Scott Best if you have any questions sbest@canoekayak.ca

* Contact Scott Best if you have any questions sbest@canoekayak.ca

* Contact Scott Best if you have any questions sbest@canoekayak.ca

* Contact Scott Best if you have any questions sbest@canoekayak.ca

SPRINT:

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

CKC COMMITTEES:

* Contact Sam Rogers if you have any questions philanthropy@canoekayak.ca

THE CAMPAIGN

Coaches are an integral part of an athlete’s journey through sport. Unfortunately, women coaches are under-represented in club coaching roles that work with older performance athletes, Provincial/Territorial coaching positions and within CKC’s technical leadership team. We want to change that. Representation and role models are integral to retaining women who are already in the field. Gaining valuable and performance-oriented experience is a gap for many women coaches in our CKC system.   As Canadian Women & Sport has laid out, coaches are the most visible and influential leaders in sport – they shape the day-to-day lived experiences of participants and influence the growth and development of sport.

To address these gaps and to bring long term benefits that equal representation within coaching offers, CKC continues to support specific apprentice coach roles for women coaches at international competitions to gain valuable experience. CKC is also committed to filling roles in its technical leadership team with qualified women coaches with the long-term goal of a gender-balanced coaching staff.

                               Make a Donation Here

THE GOAL

Our goal is to raise $15,000 to support three women coaches to participate as apprentice coaches at key international competitions in 2022, including U23 Junior Worlds and the Olympic Hopes Regatta. These opportunities allow coaches to gain experience at the international level and bring a key element of representation to our technical leadership team.

The funds will also be used to support women coaches who are transitioning into our technical leadership team as positions become available.  These efforts align with our long-term goal of a gender-balanced technical leadership team.

Thanks to a very generous anonymous donor, all donations will be matched 100% up to $5,000.  

THE DETAILS

• Every $1 raised will be matched 1:1 up to $5,000
• Funds raised as a result of this campaign will go directly towards supporting at least three women canoe coaches with a professional development grant
• Contributions to the campaign over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt (please note that receipts will be issued post campaign)

                                                         

ABOUT CKC’S PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVES

Paddling is for all Canadians, whether they paddle for the leaf or for the sport.

We must continue our legacy – to ensure that paddling is available to everyone across our land so that they can experience our country in a way like no other. Paddling connects us to our history. But we’re at risk of not being able to pass down its rich tradition.

There is a crisis in sport funding in Canada. One of the major barriers in access to, promotion of, and programming in paddling is a lack of funding. But thanks to the generosity of Canadians, we can continue supporting paddling at all levels and disciplines within the sport. You can help us build paddling in Canada by making a tax-deductible charitable gift.

For the sport. For the leaf.

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ON (May 10, 2022) – Canada’s top slalom paddlers raced last weekend at the National Team Trials and Pan American Championships from May 6-8 in Oklahoma City, USA.

The trials, hosted by the American Canoe Association, served as a selection event for all of the ICF Slalom World Cups, Senior, U23 and Junior World Championships being held over the course of the summer.

“I’m excited to welcome our veterans back and also to see some new paddlers join our program this summer to race the world cups and world championships,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager. “We have a very busy season ahead and our team is very motivated to return to a full season of international racing after a tough few years in a pandemic.”

There are many familiar names returning to the international circuit including Tokyo Olympian, Florence Maheu from Kayak Valleyfield, QC.

“I am definitely excited to get back to racing,” said Maheu. “I needed to reset after the Olympics in July which meant that I decided not to compete in World Championships. I feel ready to tackle the season ahead and looking forward to next steps towards 2024 Olympic selection.”

The ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup circuit begins on June 10 in Prague, Czech Republic.

You can find the list of events at Canoe Kayak Canada. 

2022 CKC Slalom International Teams

To view the full list of results from National Team Trials, click here.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @CanoeKayakCAN for social updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

Canoe Kayak Canada is looking for individuals to join the Canoe Slalom Development Committee. This committee will meet at least twice per year via online conference call. The main role of the CS-DC is to provide technical direction and oversight of the domestic development of the Canoe Slalom discipline. The following positions on the Canoe Slalom Development Committee are up for election.

• Canoe Slalom Development Committee Chair (2 year term)
• 2 Canoe Slalom Development Committee Coaching Representatives (2 year term)
• 3 Canoe Slalom Development Committee Provincial Representatives (1 year term)

All candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be a current member in good standing of a CKC Whitewater Provincial Territorial Sport Organization (PTSO)

In addition, the ideal candidate will have:

• Extensive knowledge of Canoe Slalom discipline, Long-Term Athlete Development principles and the Canadian sport system
• Experience working on volunteer committees
• Excellent communication and leadership skills
• Ability to work in both official languages is an asset
• A specific skill set or expertise that would be of benefit to the Domestic Development Committee

These are all volunteer positions. Interested candidates should submit the Candidate Qualification Form to James Cartwright by email at jcartwright@canoekayak.ca. Deadline for applications is Midnight EST on March 20, 2020.

PENRITH, AUSTRALIA (February 24, 2020) – Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) will be headed to his third consecutive Olympic Games following a top Canadian finish in the men’s K1 slalom event at the 2020 Australian Open in Penrith this weekend.

“Thanks to everyone who has supported me over the years,” reflected Tayler. “I’m so proud to have another opportunity to represent Canada on the Olympic stage!”

Ben Hayward (Edmonton, AB) was also vying for Olympic selection in the men’s K1 event finishing 29th in the semi-finals, behind Tayler in 21st. Both Canadian kayakers have been in a tight battle for Olympic selection in a point-based, best two-out-of-three event qualification system.

Team Canada had previously qualified the men’s K1 boat for Tokyo 2020 at the 2019 World Slalom Championships in La Seu D’Urgell, Spain.

“Olympic selections always deliver high-pressure racing and I’m really proud of our team for embracing the challenge and performing when it counts in international competitions,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager. “We now have three paddlers selected to Tokyo and we will be going to Brazil next month with an important job to compete for the last spot in women’s canoe.”

In the women’s C1 event, Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) finished top Canadian in 21^st position overall, moving her into a tie in overall points standings with Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) in the women’s C1 Canadian Olympic selection process. Lois Betteridge finished 27^th and will also look to the next qualification event that will be held at the Olympic whitewater park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on April 3-5 to contest for the women’s C1 Olympic entry.

Other notable Canadian results include Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) placing 26^th in the women’s K1 event and Cameron Smedley (Ottawa, ON) finishing 30^th in men’s C1.

The next Tokyo qualification opportunity to take place at the 2020 Pan-Am Championships scheduled in Rio de Janeiro from April 3-5, 2020.

Visit the event website and results here.

To view Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team Criteria, click here.

photo credits: JRG images

TOKYO, JAPAN (October 24, 2019) – Elite slalom paddlers will be competing at the 2019 Ready, Steady, Tokyo Olympic Test Event from October 25 – 27.

The three-day event will feature five Canadian slalom athletes competing for medals, and testing out all aspects of the 2020 Olympic venue. The slalom course is located at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre, the first manmade course newly constructed in Japan for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Women’s Canoe will make its Olympic debut next year with both Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) and Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) ready to compete in the C1 events this weekend in Japan. Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) will race in the Men’s C1 event, looking to gain further insight and experience at the Olympic venue. Smedley secured an Olympic spot for Canada in the C1 event in La Seu D’Urgell last month.

Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) will headline the Men’s Kayak events and Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) will contest the Women’s K1 event.

“Our athletes are excited to compete in Tokyo and to build on the momentum from this season,” said CKC Senior High Performance Manager, James Cartwright. “The objective at this competition is to get to know the new whitewater course and to discover Tokyo. This experience will pay dividends next summer as our athletes don’t have very much experience training or competing in Asia in a sport where World Cups are typically held in Europe.”

Best of luck to Team Canada!

What:

2019 Canoe Slalom Olympic Test Event

When:

Friday October 25 (11:00am to 2:45pm local time) (12:00am to 3:45am EST)

Saturday October 26 (9:00am to 1:00pm local time) (10:00pm to 2:00am EST)

Sunday October 27 (9:00am to 1:30pm local time) (10:00pm to 2:30am EST)

Where:

Tokyo, Japan – MAP

How to follow:

Visit the event website here.

Youtube Video links:

C1M, K1W

Odd numbers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2c4i6qgkYk

Even Bibs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiOcJ59gBQU

C1W, K1M

Odd Bibs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0PytzMjai4

Even Bibs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrFVJ_LKaIA

The Canadian entries are listed below.

LA SEU D’URGEL, SPAIN (September 29, 2019) – Team Canada qualified a second boat for Tokyo 2020 today in the men’s kayak semifinals at the ICF Slalom World Championships.

Ben Hayward (Edmonton, AB) finished 14^th in the semis to secure an Olympic quota spot in the K1 event. Canadian teammate Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) wrapped up his K1 event in 28^th overall.

“It’s such a huge weight off my shoulders to make it through this step,” Hayward reflects. “I am so happy to have qualified the spot and to deliver a run that I am proud to look back on.”

Although Hayward missed qualifying for the finals, his time in the semifinal run would have been strong enough for a 4^th place in the final.

“Looking ahead to Tokyo, this race validates that I can be in contention for a medal and I’m excited to work as hard as I can through the winter to get in the best shape possible.”

Team Canada secured two Olympic spots in the men’s C1 and K1 events this week with the next Tokyo qualification opportunity to take place at the 2020 Pan-Am Championships scheduled in Rio de Janeiro from April 3-5, 2020.

“I’m very pleased with the team’s performance in La Seu d’Urgell,” said James Cartwright, CKC High Performance and Coach Development Senior Manager. “We all worked together with a common goal to secure our entries for Tokyo. Two years ago, we set out to qualify four athletes for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, so today we will celebrate this milestone and tomorrow we will continue our preparation for the next Qualification race in Rio and the Tokyo Games.”

What:

2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships

Where:

LA SEU D’URGELL, Spain

MAP

Visit the event website and results here.

The Canadian entries are listed below.

To view Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team Criteria, click here.

LA SEU D’URGEL, SPAIN (September 28, 2019) – Team Canada qualified the C1 boat for Tokyo 2020 today at the ICF Slalom World Championships.

Rio Olympian and 2015 Pan Am Games silver medallist, Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) finished 9^th in the semifinals to secure an Olympic quota spot in the C1 event and book his ticket into the finals – a first for Canada in the C1 event since 2002.

“I’m thrilled to be racing in the finals today and wrap up the Olympic quota for Tokyo,” said Smedley. “I executed my race plan to the best of my ability in the semifinal when the pressure was on.”

Smedley raced a strong final today finishing an outstanding 9^th overall in the world – a top international performance for Canada in the C1 event.

“I made a few mistakes in the finals but I learned a lot today and this will help me execute my race plan even better next summer.”

Tune in for the last day of competition tomorrow with Team Canada set for K1 semi-final action and another opportunity to qualify for Tokyo 2020.

What:

2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships

When:

Sunday September 29 (8:30am to 1:30pm local time) (2:30am to 7:30am EST)

Where:

LA SEU D’URGELL, Spain

Szeged, Hungary – MAP

How to follow:

All races will be available to watch on Planet Canoe’s YouTube here, as well as on CBC Sports here.

Visit the event website here.

The Canadian entries are listed below.

To view Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team Criteria, click here.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

LA SEU D’URGEL, SPAIN (September 23, 2019) – Top slalom paddlers from around the world will be competing at the 2019 International Canoe Federation’s (ICF) World Championships in Spain from September 25 – 29.

The five-day event will feature eight Canadian slalom athletes competing for medals, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifications. The top 18 countries in K1 events and top 11 countries in C1 events will qualify for Tokyo 2020.

Women’s Canoe will be making its Olympic debut in 2020 with Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) and Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) aiming to lock up a country qualification for Canada this week.

ICF World Cup Extreme Slalom medallist Ben Hayward (Edmonton, AB) will lead Team Canada in the Men’s Kayak events including the highly dramatic team event beginning on Wednesday this week. The team races consist of three paddlers from the same category weaving down the course as close together as possible while still not interfering with each other’s lines.

“We are all ready to start the World Championships in La Seu d’Urgell,” said James Cartwright, High Performance and Coach Development Senior Manager. “All our preparation this season has been centered around putting everything together for this one race and our athletes know how to perform here. It’s important that we stay calm and focus on the details that we can control throughout the competition with the excitement building.”

What:

2019 ICF Canoe Slalom and Wild Water Canoeing World Championships

When:

Wednesday September 25 (9:00am to 4:00pm local time) (3:00am to 10:00am EST)

Thursday September 26 (9:00am to 1:40pm local time) (3:00am to 7:40am EST)

Friday September 27 (9:00am to 1:30pm local time) (3:00am to 7:30am EST)

Saturday September 28 (9:00am to 1:30pm local time) (3:00am to 7:30am EST)

Sunday September 29 (8:30am to 1:30pm local time) (2:30am to 7:30am EST)

Where:

LA SEU D’URGELL, Spain

Szeged, Hungary – MAP

How to follow:

All races will be available to watch on Planet Canoe’s YouTube here, as well as on CBC Sports here.

Visit the event website here.

The Canadian entries are listed below.

To view Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team Criteria, click here.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Maryn Sommerfeldt

Communications Assistant

intern@canoekayak.ca

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (September 9, 2019) – The Canadian slalom team wrapped up the World Cup season at the Prague Whitewater course competing in the World Cup Final and the Extreme Slalom World Championships.

Ben Hayward finished 6^th in the Extreme Slalom K1 event and narrowly missed advancing to the finals after a close photo finish video review eliminated Hayward from the 4-boat final. Haley Daniels finished 14^th overall in the women’s K1 Extreme Slalom event. Michael Tayler and Ben Hayward also advanced to the semi-final in the Canoe Slalom K1 event demonstrating speed and composure placing 5^th and 9^th in 2^nd heat. Tayler placed 33^rd and Hayward finished 40^th respectively K1 semi-final on Sunday.

“I’m pleased with the resilience and mental toughness this weekend. Many of our athletes struggled throughout the week with a bug going through the team. They put down fast race runs and were competitive when the pressure was on” said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of High Performance and Coach Development at Canoe Kayak Canada. “We will be looking to extract the lessons from this race, remember what was good and forget what didn’t work so well. We want to end the season on a high note in Seu.”

2019 Canoe Slalom World Cup Final Results

2019 Extreme Slalom World Championships Results

The team will now be heading to La Seu d’Urgell, Spain to prepare for the World Championships taking place September 25-29 which will also count as an Olympic Qualification Event. Countries will be vying for Quotas for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

This event will be live streamed on the ICF website where you can also find live results.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

James Cartwright

Senior Manager of High Performance and Coach Development

jcartwright@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (August 30, 2019) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is proud to name six athletes to compete at World Cup 5 and eight athletes to compete at the upcoming Canoe Slalom World Championships. Four Canadian athletes were selected at the Canoe Slalom National Team trials earlier this spring in Oklahoma City and another four athletes were selected to the team after the conclusion of the National Championships held in Minden Hills, Ontario August 18.

“Our team is thrilled to get back in international competition after a long break following the World Cups in June”, said said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of Slalom High Performance Manager and Coach Development at Canoe Kayak Canada. “Everyone enjoyed a fun National Championships in Minden last week and now our coaches and athletes are back to work and preparing for the biggest test of the season. We experienced some success earlier this year and it’s great to see some new athletes elevate their performances at the selection races in Minden. I am looking forward to cheering for this team in Spain”

Six athletes will be competing in World Cup 5 in Prague (Czech Republic) from September 6-8 and eight athletes will be competing at the World Championships which is also a Global Qualification event in La Seu d’Urgell (Spain) from September 25-29.

NATIONAL TEAM COMPETING AT WORLD CUP 5

NATIONAL TEAM COMPETING AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

MINDEN HILLS, ONTARIO (August 20, 2019) – The 2019 Whitewater National Championships are now complete, after an exciting weekend of extreme slalom, downriver, freestyle and slalom events. 66 athletes from across the country gathered in Minden Hills, Ontario at the Minden Whitewater Preserve on the Gull River from August 14^th to 18^th.

Team Ontario claimed the overall Brian Creer trophy for earning the most points throughout the five days of whitewater competition featuring Freestyle, Slalom.

This renowned natural course was an excellent spot for the event with whitewater rapids ranging from Class II to Class IV. The preserve also had campsites where many participants stayed right next to the river.

The medallists for the Open events are listed below and complete results are posted on Canoe Kayak Canada’s website.

Canoe Kayak Slalom

Women’s K1

Women’s C1

Men’s K1

Men’s C1

Mixed C2

Men’s C2

Downriver Classic

Men’s Open C1

Men’s Open K1

Downriver Sprint

Men’s C1

Men’s K1

Freestyle

Men’s K1

Women’s K1

C1 Open

Extreme Slalom

Open Men

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Laurel MacAdam

Communications Assistant

lmacadam@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Photos: David Jackson / COC

LIMA, PERU (August 5^th, 2019) – The 2019 Pan American Games have come to an end for Canoe Kayak Canada, with the last of the slalom competitions finishing up on Sunday afternoon. Team Canada earned a combined total of 13 medals in Lima between the sprint and slalom competitions, just one medal short of their TORONTO 2015 Pan Am record.

The sprint event was held from July 27^th – 30^th at the Peruvian Regional Conservation Area of Albufera de Medio Mundo, with the slalom event happening a week later from August 2^nd to 4^th on the Rio Cañete in Lunahuaná.

The sprint team captured 10 medals during their four days of competition, standing on the podium in nearly all of the contested events. The four slalom athletes competing continued the success of Canadian paddlers by bringing in 3 medals.

To find out more about the sprint team’s results, click here.

“I am very pleased that the Canoe Kayak Canada athletes have done so well at the 2019 Pan Am Games,” said Chief Technical Officer of CKC, Graham Barton. “There is a good feeling right now on the Team and the performance at these Games is a positive indication of potential for the future as well.”

The Canadian slalom athletes had excellent runs in qualification, advancing them all to the semis and finals on Sunday.

Canada’s Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) had a fast and clean run on Sunday, winning her the silver medal in women’s C1 slalom event, behind Brazil’s Ana Satila. Teammate Keenan Simpson (Ottawa, ON), followed in the men’s K1 slalom event and won the bronze medal behind Brazil and Argentina.

“It’s pretty cool. I came with high expectations for this race given that our sport is very Euro-centric,” said Betteridge. “We have a lot of the best paddlers based out of Europe, but we have Ana [SATILA, BRA] who is ranked No. 3 in the world, so I was coming to race and be as close to her as possible and I think I achieved what I came here to do.”

Both athletes also competed in the extreme slalom disciplines qualifying for the semi-finals on the first day of competition. The semi-finals and finals were held on Sunday afternoon where Simpson captured another bronze medal. Betteridge was disqualified in the semis.

Liam Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) nearly made the podium in the men’s C1 event, coming fourth behind USA, Argentina and Brazil. Olivia Norman (Ottawa, ON) had an excellent race in the women’s K1 event, putting her just behind the bronze medal spot in fourth place.

“I am super proud of how the whole team performed here in Lunahuaná,” said Michal Staniszewski, Canada’s national slalom head coach. “The athletes put down strong performances and with three medals it proves that we were well prepared for the Pan-Am Games. I think this experience will help our young athletes to prepare for Tokyo and Paris.”

Visit the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games website here to find all results.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Laurel MacAdam

Communications Assistant

lmacadam@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

LIMA, PERU (July 26, 2019) – Many of Canada’s strongest sprint and slalom paddlers will be competing at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru in the coming weeks. Fourteen sprint and four slalom athletes will look to improve upon Canada’s medal performances from the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games, taking home a record fourteen medals for Canada in both canoeing disciplines.

Ottawa’s strong paddling community in both disciplines is well represented in this group of athletes. All four slalom athletes, Lois Betteridge, Olivia Norman, Keenan Simpson and Liam Smedley are from the capital city, as well as two sprint athletes, Drew Hodges and Rowan Hardy-Kavanagh.

The sprint paddlers will be lining up at the Peruvian Regional Conservation Area of Albufera de Medio Mundo this Saturday for the kick off of the sprint events which will run until Tuesday July 30^th. Eighteen countries will be competing in the canoe sprint events in Lima, with a total of 125 athletes participating.

“I feel very honoured to have the chance to compete for Canada at the Pan Am Games this year in Lima, Peru,” said sprint kayaker Alanna Bray-Lougheed (Burloak, ON). “It’s a Major Games, so it will be a great chance to lay down the best race possible in a multi-sport event. I’m excited with the team we have and I’m confident we will perform well and enjoy the whole experience together!”

The 2019 sprint team was selected following the second set of National Team Trials held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in late June.

Sprint canoer Drew Hodges (Rideau, ON), recalls his experience in 2007 when his babysitter and sprint athlete Angus Mortimer had recently come home from the Pan Am Games.

“I remember reading the newspaper without knowing anything about paddling and seeing how cool and meaningful to his development as an athlete this experience was for him. He went on to compete in the Olympic Games the following year,” said Hodges. “The Mortimer brothers were a major force in my introduction to the sport of paddling and I am really excited to have the opportunity to compete the Pan Am Games just like Angus did, and hopefully share some more experiences he had in his career.”

On the slalom side, the event runs from August 2^nd through until August 4^th, where the Canadian athletes will be competing 200km south of Lima on the Rio Cañete in Lunahuaná. Extreme slalom, an exciting fast-paced event where four athletes race head-to-head through gates in an attempt to cross the finish line first, will make its Pan American Games debut in Lima.

“It’s a totally different feeling coming into the Lima 2019 games than any other international competition I’ve prepared for,” said slalom athlete Liam Smedley. “It’s exciting and empowering to know you’re competing next to all your Canadian teammates all in different sports, but all with the same purpose: to push yourself, find fulfilment in the process, and if all pieces fit, to step on that podium.”

The slalom athletes were selected through a combination of races at the National Team Trials in Oklahoma City and the Pan American Championships in Brazil, which were both held in April.

To view the complete list of Canadian athletes heading to Peru, click here.

Lima 2019 Pan American Games – Canoe Sprint

Where:

Albufera de Medio Mundo, Peru

When:

Saturday, July 27 (9:00am to 1:45pm PET) (10:00am to 2:45pm EST)

Sunday, July 28 (9:00am to 1:25pm PET) (10:00am to 2:25pm EST)

Monday, July 29 (9:00am to 1:30pm PET) (10:00am to 2:30pm EST)

Tuesday, July 30 (9:00am to 11:50am PET) (10:00am to 12:50pm EST)

How to follow:

Visit the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games website here.

Lima 2019 Pan American Games – Canoe Slalom

Where:

Rio Cañete, Lunahuaná, Peru

When:

Friday, August 2 (9:30am to 2:30pm PET) (10:30am to 3:30pm EST)

Saturday, August 3 (9:00am to 12:22pm PET) (10:00am to 1:22pm EST)

Sunday, August 4 (9:00am to 5:00pm PET) (10:00am to 6:00pm EST)

How to follow:

Visit the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games website here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Colleen Coderre, Communications Lead
Canoe Kayak Canada
C: 613.530.6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Claire Juguet, Onsite Media attaché
C: 613.929.6804 (whats app)
E: claire@sailing.ca

KRAKOW, POLAND (July 22, 2019) – After a week-long competition at the 2019 ICF Canoe Slalom Junior/U23 World Championships, the Canadian team is heading home with some promising performances. Twelve Canadian slalom athletes competed in Krakow, Poland, on the Kolna Canoe Slalom Course from July 16^th – 21^st.

It was a great learning experience for many of Canada’s Next Gen slalom paddlers, who gained valuable training and competition time at this common international slalom venue.

“I think our athletes will return to Canada with a clear objective of what areas they want to work on for the remainder of the summer in order to maximize their potential at the National Championships in August,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager and Coach Development at Canoe Kayak Canada. “Travelling to Europe to race and train on the best facilities and to race the top athletes from around the world is a gift and now it’s important to learn from this experience and set ambitious objectives for the years ahead.”

The team events were an exciting portion of the competition, with Canada competing in the junior men’s K1 team, the junior women’s K1 team, and the U23 men’s K1 team. The team races consist of three athletes weaving their boats through the gates one by one down the whitewater course as quickly as possible. This is always a crowd favourite and the smallest miscalculation can lead to a dramatic boat pile-up. Athletes musts learn to anticipate each other’s moves while also navigating through the difficult whitewater.

Jean-Benoît Lemay, Maël Rivard and Mark Zielonka made up the Canadian men’s junior team, and had an excellent race finishing 13^th out of 20 with just two touches of the gates. Rivard then went on to qualify for the semi-finals in the junior men’s K1 event and placed an impressive 24^th out of 77 competitors.

Canada’s Lois Betteridge qualified for the semi-finals after first run in the U23 women’s C1, coming 16^th with no touches. She later finished that event in 28^th place and came 10^th with partner Jakob Kryworuchko in the U23 mixed C2 event.

Junior athlete Jocelyn Taylor came in 31^st place in the women’s K1 event, missing qualification for the semi-finals by just one spot.

Click here to view the full list of results.

The Canadian slalom athletes will compete next in Minden Hills, Ontario, from August 12^th-16^th, where they will battle it out for top honours at the 2019 Canadian Whitewater National Championships. Early registration for this event closes July 31st (all event fees will increase by $50.00 after this date). To register, click here. Late registration closes August 12th. The host committee is currently seeking volunteers to help with the event. To learn more about volunteering, click here.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Laurel MacAdam

Communications Assistant

lmacadam@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

KRAKOW, POLAND (July 15, 2019) – Twelve Canadian slalom athletes will be vying for podium finishes this week at the 2019 ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships. The event is being held at the well-known Krakow-Kolna Canoe Slalom Course in Krakow, Poland, after a successful hosting of the same event in 2016. Athletes are competing from Tuesday, July 16^th until Sunday July 21^st, ending with the extreme slalom competitions.

The Canadian team has been training in Europe since the middle of June to prepare for this major international event, after having been selected to this team following the National Slalom Team Trials event held in Oklahoma City, USA from April 12-14^th.

Canada’s Lois Betteridge competed in the first two ICF World Cups of the season and had excellent runs qualifying for the semi-finals at both events. She will be looking to build on these performances and put down more strong runs in women’s C1 and K1 in Krakow this week. Betteridge will also be battling for a medal with Jakob Kryworuchko in the mixed C2 event, where she narrowly missed the podium last year finishing fourth with a different partner.

Trevor Boyd is the second Canadian paddler who has competed for Canada already this season. Boyd participated at World Cup 3 in his first ever ICF World Cup just two weeks ago, completing clean runs in K1 and finishing 12^th in the extreme slalom event.

“I’m happy to see a strong group of athletes in Krakow this year. A number of our Junior and U23 athletes have spent the last four weeks in Europe preparing for this competition while gaining valuable training time in Krakow, Augsburg and Prague,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager and Coach Development at Canoe Kayak Canada. “These are classic race venues that will be hosting significant international races in the years ahead so it’s important that our Next Gen athletes learn to perform on these courses.”

The Canadian athletes are listed below:

U23 National Team

Junior National Team

What:

2019 ICF Junior/U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships

When:

Tuesday, July 16 (9:00am to 3:22pm CEST) (3:00am to 9:22am EST)

Wednesday, July 17 (9:00am to 5:51pm CEST) (3:00am to 11:51am EST)

Thursday, July 18 (9:00am to 5:10pm CEST) (3:00am to 11:10am EST)

Friday, July 19 (9:00am to 4:37pm CEST) (3:00am to 10:37am EST)

Saturday, July 20 (9:00am to 4:52pm CEST) (3:00am to 10:52am EST)

Sunday, July 21 (9:00am to 4:37pm CEST) (3:00am to 10:37am EST)

Where:

Krakow-Kolna Canoe Slalom Course

Krakow, Poland – Map

How to Follow:

The event will be livestreamed on the ICF YouTube Channel as well as the CBC Sports Livestream. Live results will be posted on the ICF Website.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Laurel MacAdam

Communications Intern

lmacadam@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

TACEN, SLOVENIA (July 2, 2019) – The Canadian slalom team completed the International Canoe Federation’s (ICF) World Cup 3 in Tacen, Slovenia on Sunday. The event was the final of three consecutive weekends of World Cup competitions for Team Canada and ran from Friday June 28^th to Sunday June 30^th.

The highlight of the weekend for Team Canada was Ben Hayward winning the gold medal in the extreme canoe slalom event – a fast-paced race where athletes compete head to head in an attempt to reach the finish line first. Hayward also competed in the K1 event and came 46^th.

Trevor Boyd had an excellent start to his first ever World Cup with two clean runs and finished 61st in K1. He also made it to the quarter finals in extreme slalom and finished 12th. Michael Tayler finished 63rd in K1 at his third World Cup of the season.

Haley Daniels made the semi-finals in both the C1 event and the extreme canoe slalom event and finished 28th and 6th in those events, respectively.

Find the full list of results here.

“I am thrilled to see Ben win his first ICF World Cup medal this weekend. I know he would have wanted a better result in the slalom K1 event, but this medal is a reflection of Ben’s resilience and ability bounce back from disappointment on Friday to claim a medal,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager and Coach Development at CKC. “Our athletes and coaches will now turn their attention on preparation for the World Championships in late September. There is quite a bit of time for everyone to refine their performance routines and build speed for the most important race of the season.”

The team will continue their training for the months to come as they prepare for the Whitewater National Championships taking place in Minden Hills, Ontario from August 12-18^th.  At the end of September, they will be heading to La Seu d’Urgell, Spain to compete at the Slalom World Championships.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Laurel MacAdam

Communications Intern

lmacadam@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (June 27, 2019) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) and the Canadian Olympic Committee are pleased to announce the athletes and coaches selected to compete in slalom and sprint events at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.

Four athletes qualified for Team Canada in slalom through a combination of races at the National Team Trials in Oklahoma City, which took place April 12 to 14, and the Pan American Championships, which were held April 26 to 28 in Três Coroas, Brazil.

“I am thrilled that we will have four up-and-coming athletes competing at this year’s Pan American Games,” said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of High Performance and Coach Development at CKC. “Our newly appointed Next Gen coach, Michal Staniszewski, will be leading this group and supporting our team throughout this high-pressure event. I hope this event will help our athletes to develop experience competing at a multi-sport Games and to build resilience while performing in a new and challenging environment.”

The canoe/kayak slalom and extreme slalom events will take place August 2 to 4, 200km south of Lima on the Rio Cañete in Lunahuaná. Canoe/kayak slalom made its first appearance at the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games. Extreme slalom, an exciting new competition format in which four athletes race head-to-head through an obstacle course, will make its Pan American Games debut in Lima.

“I’m excited to be a part of a greater national team atmosphere and represent Canada at the Pan Am Games for the first time,” said slalom paddler Lois Betteridge. “We have been training hard and look forward to competing on the international stage this summer!”

Fourteen athletes will compete for the Canadian sprint team in Lima from July 27 to 30 at Albufera Medio Mundo – Huacho. Sprint athletes have been selected for the team based on the results at the National Team Trials held in Dartmouth, N.S.

Rio 2016 Olympian Andréanne Langlois (Trois-Rivières, Que.) will join the sprint paddling team, which has all eyes set on the podium for Lima.

“We are sending a very strong team to the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima,” said CKC Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “We have a blend of experienced athletes who have competed at world championships and Olympic Games, as well as athletes who are competing internationally for the first time. I think our chances of bringing home a medal in every event are very good.”

Canoe/kayak sprint is one of Canada’s top-performing summer sports, with 24 Olympic medals won since 1936. The Canadian sprint team won 10 medals at the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games.

“After winning the K-1 200m at the National Team Trials, I’m proud to be nominated to the team and represent Canada at the upcoming Pan American Games,” said sprint paddler Dominik Crête. “This event is a great way to gain experience on the international stage and learn from other international athletes who compete in multi-sport events such as the Pan Am Games and the Olympic Games. To ensure I show up at my best for this event, I will be training with some of the best paddlers and coaches in the country.”

The sprint athletes and coaches nominated are:

Men’s Kayak

Marshall Hughes (Waverly, N.S.)

Dominik Crête (Trois-Rivières, Que.)

Jarrett Kenke (Saskatoon, Sask.)

Eric Ellery (Toronto, Ont.)

Jacob Steele (Halifax, N.S.)

Women’s Kayak

Andréanne Langlois (Trois-Rivières, Que.)

Alanna Bray-Lougheed (Oakville, Ont.)

Alexa Irvin (Kentville, N.S.)

Anna Negulic (Bedford, N.S.)

Men’s Canoe

Drew Hodges (Ottawa, Ont.)

Craig Spence (Dartmouth, N.S.)

Women’s Canoe

Anna Roy-Cyr (Lac Beauport, Que.)

Anne Sophie Lavoie-Parent (Trois-Rivières, Que.)

Rowan Hardy-Kavanagh (Ottawa, Ont.)

Coaches

Ryan Blair (Toronto, Ont.)

Lynwen Birch (Halifax N.S.)

Jon Pike (Dartmouth, N.S.)

The slalom athletes and coaches nominated are:

Men’s Kayak and Extreme Slalom

Keenan Simpson (Ottawa, Ont.)

Women’s Kayak and Extreme Slalom

Olivia Norman (Ottawa, Ont.)

Men’s Canoe and Extreme Slalom

Liam Smedley (Dunrobin, Ont.)

Women’s Canoe and Extreme Slalom

Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, Ont.)

Coach (Canoe Slalom)

Michal Staniszewski (Gatineau, Que.)

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Colleen Coderre, Communications Lead
Canoe Kayak Canada
C: 613.530.6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Josh Su, Specialist, Public Relations
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-464-4060
E: jsu@olympic.ca

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA (June 24, 2019) – Three of Canada’s top slalom paddlers posted another set of strong results at the International Canoe Federation’s (ICF) second World Cup event from June 19^th to 23^rd in Bratislava, Slovakia. The event took place just one week after World Cup 1 in Lee Valley, United Kingdom.

Lois Betteridge, Ben Hayward and Michael Tayler were the Canadian athletes competing in Bratislava. They kicked off the competition with impressive results on Friday, by each qualifying for the semi-finals in women’s C1 and men’s K1, respectively inside the top 20. The past two weekends have been an excellent start to the World Cup season for the slalom athletes, as all of the Canadians also qualified for semis at World Cup 1.

“I’m very pleased to see that our athletes are paddling well, and our preparation is on track for the World Championships in September. They have all shown that they have the speed to move through to the semi-finals at World Cups which was one of our objectives this year,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager and Coach Development at CKC. “They will now have some time to debrief the last two races and tweak their race plans so that they can perform on demand when it really counts in the semi-finals and finals.”

On Sunday, facing tough competition and a challenging course design, Betteridge finished 26^th overall in women’s C1, as did Tayler in the men’s K1 followed by teammate Hayward in 37^th place.

Full results list.

Hayward and Tayler will be joined by Trevor Boyd and Haley Daniels for World Cup 3 in Slovenia from June 28^th to June 30^th. Betterigde will join Cameron Smedley in Spain for more training time on the world championship course in La Seu d’Urgell.

What:

ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 3

Where:

Tacen Whitewater Course

Ljubljana, Slovenia – Map

When:

Friday June 28 (4:00am to 11:29am EST)

Saturday June 29 (4:00am to 8:15am EST)

Sunday June 30 (4:00am to 10:47am EST)

This event will be live streamed on the ICF website where you can also find live results.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Laurel MacAdam

Communications Intern

lmacadam@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

HERTFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM (June 17, 2019) – Canadian slalom athletes competed in their first International Canoe Federation’s (ICF) Slalom World Cup event of the season from June 13^th – June 16^th. The competition was hosted at the Lee Valley Whitewater Centre, which was constructed for the 2012 London Olympic Games. The course was also home to the Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2015.

“I’m thrilled to see that our team started the World Cup season on a good note. This is a step in the right direction to have all four athletes advance to the semi – finals at a World Cup, something our team hasn’t accomplished is a long time,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager and Coach Development at Canoe Kayak Canada. “I know the team will be looking to improve on this next weekend setting their sights on the finals in Bratislava.”

All four Canadian paddlers had excellent runs on Friday qualifying for the semi – finals. Later in the weekend, Cameron Smedley faced off against tough competition finishing 24^th in the men’s C1 event, as did Lois Betteridge on the women’s side. Michael Tayler came 28^th in the men’s K1 event, followed by Ben Hayward in 37^th overall.

Full results list.

Tayler, Hayward and Betteridge will be heading to Bratislava, Slovakia this week to build upon their first World Cup experience and compete at the second World Cup at the Divoka Voda Whitewater Park.

What: 
2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 2

When:
Wednesday June 19 (12:15pm to 12:41pm EST)
Friday June 21 (3:00am to 12:41pm EST)
Saturday June 22 (3:00am to 7:12am EST)
Sunday June 23 (3:00am to 10:15am EST)

This event will be live streamed on the ICF website where you can also find live results.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Laurel MacAdam

Communications Intern

lmacadam@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

HERTFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM (June 13, 2019) – Four of Canada’s top slalom paddlers will be competing at the Lee Valley Whitewater Centre from June 13^th – 16^th for the first International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cup competition.

Lois Betteridge, Ben Hayward, Cameron Smedley and Michael Tayler were selected to compete at this World Cup following the Canoe Slalom National Team Trials in Oklahoma City, USA which took place in April.

The competition will kick off for the Canadians with the extreme slalom men’s time trials on Thursday, where Hayward and Tayler will each aim to qualify for the quarter finals. On Friday morning, Smedley will race in the C1 men’s heats, followed later in the day by Betteridge who will battle it out in both the C1 and K1 women’s heats.

“I’m looking forward to seeing our athletes back in action in Lee Valley at World Cup #1.” Said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager and Coach Development at Canoe Kayak Canada. “The Lee Valley Whitewater Park is a spectacular facility and I’m certain that all the best athletes will be looking to kick off the 2019 World Cup series with a strong performance. This race will be an excellent assessment of our performance readiness and preparation for the World Championships in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain at the end of September.”

What:

2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 1

Live Results

Livestream

When:

Thursday June 13 (9:00 to 9:27am EST) 

Friday June 14 (4:00 to 11:43am EST)

Saturday June 15 (4:00 to 11:10 am EST)

Sunday June 16 (4:00 to 8:12am EST)

Where:

Lee Valley Whitewater Centre

Hertfordshire, UK – Map

Canadian athletes will be competing in four other World Cup events this summer which are listed below:

2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 2

Bratislava, Slovakia

June 21^st – 23^rd

2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 3

Tacen, Slovenia

June 28^th – 30^th

2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 4

Markkleeberg, Germany

August 30^th – September 1^st

2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 5

Prague, Czech Republic

September 6^th – 8^th

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Laurel MacAdam

Communications Intern

lmacadam@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (May 1, 2019) Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) introduces a new Slalom High Performance coaching structure designed to strengthen both short-term and long-term athlete development pathways. This new structure consists of an International Coach position whose role is to focus on Senior National Team projects and a Next Gen Coach position whose role is to focus on developing Next Gen athlete development pathway.

CKC is thrilled to announce that Anthony Colin will take on the International Coach position to lead the Slalom National Team in preparation for the 2019 international season and beyond. Michal Staniszewski will continue to play an important role and has recently taken on the Next Gen Coach role and will be focusing his work on developing athletes on the 2024 pathway and beyond.

“Our slalom program is in a much stronger position today” Said Graham Barton, CKC’s Chief Technical Officer. “Anthony will be working to prepare our Slalom National Team for the upcoming World Championships and the Tokyo Games while Michal will be working to develop Next Gen athletes for 2024 and beyond. We are thrilled to have two national coaches and this new structure allows us to manage a variety of high performance projects in Europe this summer”

Anthony joins CKC after spending the last three years working in Ottawa as the Head Coach for Whitewater Ontario’s slalom high performance program. Anthony will spend the next couple of weeks working in Ottawa with the National Team athletes before the Senior Team travels to Spain, England, and Slovakia to compete in World Cups 1 and 2. Michal will be leading Next Gen projects in Poland, Germany and Czech Republic throughout June and July leading up to the Junior and U23 World Championships in Krakow, Poland.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada 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:

James Cartwright

Senior Manager of Slalom High Performance and Coach Development

jcartwright@canoekayak.ca

(613) 260-1818 X 2305

OTTAWA, ONTARIO(April 16, 2019) –Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is proud to name 15 athletes on the 2019 Senior, U23 and Junior Canoe Slalom Teams. Canadian athletes were selected at the Canoe Slalom National Team trials that took place last weekend at the Riversport Adventures Whitewater Facility in Oklahoma City, USA.

“It was great to see our Canadian athletes back in action on the water this past weekend”, said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of Slalom High Performance Manager and Coach Development at Canoe Kayak Canada. “Our selection races were combined with the American Canoe Association (ACA) team trials which created a super competitive atmosphere, and a number of our Canadian athletes put on great performances and proved they are ready to compete on the international stage this summer.”

The 2019 Senior, U23 and Junior National Teams were selected based on the National Team selection criteria available on the Canoe Kayak Canada website. Selected athletes will have the opportunity to compete on the International Canoe Federation (ICF) circuit over the coming season including the Canoe Slalom World Cups series and the World Championships.

In addition to the international competitions, Canoe Kayak Canada will be hosting the 2019 Whitewater National Championships in Minden Hills, Ontario from August 12 to August 18. Canoe Kayak Canada’s full event calendar can be found on the websitehere.

Team Announcement 

SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM (World Cups 1, 2, 5 and Senior World Championships)

U23 NATIONAL TEAM (U23 World Championships)

[1] 1st Alternate

JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM (Junior World Championships)

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s websiteto get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoeand @CanoeKayakCANfor more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing listto get all news and results directly to your email.

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 :

James Cartwright

Senior Manager of Slalom High Performance Manager

Canoe Kayak Canada

jcartwright@canoekayak.ca

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA (April 15, 2019)– Canadian Canoe Slalom athletes completed the 2019 Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) National Team Trials of a new competitive season this weekend at the Riversport Adventures Whitewater Facility in Oklahoma City, USA. Over two days of intense competitions, canoe and kayak slalom athletes tried to secure a spot on the 2019 National teams.

The first day of competition at the combined Team Trials of Canada and USA proved to be a challenging day for some and just right for others with sub-seasonal temperatures. Both nations shared the Riversport artificial whitewater facility in Oklahoma City while athletes battled to set the fastest race runs across four Olympic events creating an international competetive atmosphere. Neither countries competition results affect the others countries selection process.

“The steep fast courses pushed the paddlers while sending athletes through some of the largest and most challenging waves the Oklahoma artificial whitewater course had to offer over the weekend”, said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of Slalom High Performance Manager and Coach Development at Canoe Kayak Canada. “Our junior and senior athletes demonstrated great results and looked strong on the course this weekend and we are excited to be announcing the Official Teams later this week.”

https://www.facebook.com/CanoeKayakCAN/photos/a.2553985591343440/2557652044310128/?type=3&theater

Canadian Ben Hayward (Edmonton, AB), led the field in men’s kayak for runs one and two setting the fastest times of the day both for Canada and US.

Olympian Cam Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) led the men’s C1 class, but knew he had to race faster on day two of to solidify his place on the team.

A challenging course set, and strict selection criteria proved to be a tough challenge requiring many athletes vying for selection to step up their performance for races 3 and 4.

Saturday April 13 was planned as day 2 and trials runs 3 and 4 for the Canadians, however due to inclamite weather of high winds and heavy rain, the final two selection races were moved to Sunday April 14th.  The US Team trials carried on, giving Canadian athletes an option to race for practice or opt for a rest day.

Sunday’s weather forecast proved to be spot on with the rain and wind blown away, sunny skies and warming weather made race conditions near perfect.

Two time Olympian and Ottawa native Michael Tayler took top place in race 3, while Ben Hayward set the best time once again in race 4.

Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) set the fastest women’s C1 run in selection races 2 and 3 for both Canada and US. In women’s K1 event, Lois Betteridge and Florence Maheu traded off wins throughout the four selection races.

First year Junior boys C1 paddler Finn Wakeling (Port Moody, BC), demonstrated poise and perseverance through the four selection races leading the pack and winning three of four race runs in his event.

Mael Rivard (Ottawa, ON) smooth style and consistent race game, dominated all four races in the junior K1 category.

In the U23 men’s K1 class Trevor Boyd (Calgary, AB) and Keenan Simpson (Montreal, QC) battled the course and each other, swapping wins with two each.

In the women’s junior K1 class, Jocelyn Taylor (Calgary, AB) international experience on artificial courses proved to help her to win 3 of the 4 selection races.

Cam Smedley continued to solidy his position as Canada’s top C1 paddler setting the best time after each selection race.

Canoe Kayak Canada will be announcing later this week the selected athletes that will be representing Canada on the official 2019 Senior, U23 and Junior Teams. The full results of the competitions can be found online here.

In addition to the international competitions, Canoe Kayak Canada will be hosting the 2019 Whitewater National Championships in Minden Hills, Ontario from August 12 to August 18. You can view CKC’s full event calendar here.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s websiteto get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoeand @CanoeKayakCANfor more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing listto get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

James Cartwright

Senior Manager of Slalom High Performance Manager and Coach Development

jcartwright@canoekayak.ca

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (April 10, 2019) – Canoe Kayak Canada’s best Canoe Slalom paddlers will be taking their first strokes into the National Team Selections this weekend. The Canadian National Slalom Team trials will take place at the Riversport Adventures Whitewater Facility located in Oklahoma City, USA. 

“Our Canadian slalom athletes have been training all winter long and these races will officially kick-off the 2019 season,” said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of Slalom High Performance Manager and Coach Development at Canoe Kayak Canada. “I’m thrilled that our athletes have the opportunity to race on a world-class whitewater facility and compete against the best athletes from across North America at this year’s joint Team Trials with the American Canoe Association.  It is now time to test their training and select our teams that will be representing Canada at the 2019 international events.”

Canoe Kayak Canada will be selecting athletes based on the National Team selection criteria to compete at the 2019 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Slalom World Cup series, as well as the Senior, U23 and Junior World Championships.

What:
Canoe Kayak Canada – Slalom National Team trials

When:
Friday, April 12 to Sunday, April 14

Where:
RIVERSPORT OCK
800 Riversport Dr.
Oklahoma City, OK 73129
Oklahoma, United States

The 2019 National Team Trials are being held in the United States this year since OKC is an international standard artificial whitewater venue and there are no similar courses in Canada. Combined trials with the American Canoe Association (ACA) creates a larger field helping athletes and coaches assess performances in relation with top North American slalom athletes.

“There are no other races in North America where the top slalom athletes come together to race one another, explains James Cartwright. This is a very rare opportunity for us, the last time this happened was in 2012 when we hosted Olympic selections in Charlotte”.

Following this competition, Canoe Kayak Canada will announce the selected athletes and teams for the upcoming international events of the 2019 season. In addition to the international competitions, Canoe Kayak Canada will be hosting the 2019 Whitewater National Championships in Minden Hills, Ontario from August 12 to August 18.

Canoe Kayak Canada’s full event calendar can be found here.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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:

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

James Cartwright

Senior Manager of Slalom High Performance Manager and Coach Development

jcartwright@canoekayak.ca

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (October 1, 2018) – It was an exciting week for the Canadian canoe slalom team as they completed their 2018 season competing at the International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Championships in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil from September 25 to 30.

The Kayak crews were the first competing at this Championships. The men’s crew of Ben Hayward (Ottawa, ON), Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) and Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) placed 11^thwhile the women’s crew of Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON), Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) and Hayley Daniels (Calgary, AB) placed 16^th.

While Canada made top 20 in the Team Events, the single events were a little more challenging. Only Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) qualified a spot in the Semi-Finals putting down two quick runs in the Men’s C1 event, placing 21^stin a strong competition.

“The course designers set a challenging race course for this year’s World Championships, there were a lot of tight offsets combinations,” said Canoe Kayak Canada’s Slalom High Performance Manager. “The team isn’t satisfied with our performance here in Rio and we know we need to be better next season. We’ve made some progress this year with more athletes making semis at World Cups but we are aiming much higher for Tokyo 2020”.

In the Extreme Slalom Events, Hayward almost made it to the Men’s Kayak big final placing 5^thoverall in the semi-final. Maheu also showed a great performance placing 7^thoverall, while Daniels was eliminated in the quarterfinals placing 16^thoverall.

Get all final Canadian results listed below and visit theInternational Canoe Federation’s website  to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe  and @CanoeKayakCAN  for all live updates.

TEAM EVENTS

SINGLE EVENTS

EXTREME SLALOM EVENTS

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing listto get all news and results directly to your email.

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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

LA SEU D’URGELL, SPAIN (September 10, 2018) – Canoe Kaya Kayak’s top canoe slalom paddlers completed this weekend the last of a series of five World Cup. The fifth and final World Cup took place in La Seu D’Urgell, Spain from September 6 to 9. The Canadian team is now heading to Brazil for their final international competition of the season.

“I am happy to see that our athlete’s performances are progressing in the right direction leading into the World Championships,” said Canoe Kayak Canada’s High Performance Manager, James Cartwright. “It’s a big boost to see that all the athletes on the team are ready to progress to the semifinals this season. We are looking forward to ending the season on a high note in Rio and then getting back to work on our long-term goal of qualifying an athlete in every category for the Tokyo Olympics.”

On the final World Cup, the Mixed C2 crew of Yannick Laviolette (Québec) and Lois Betteridge (Ontario) placed 7^thin a strong final. Florence Maheu (Québec) made it through the semi-final in the Women’s K1 and placed 24^th, missing the final by just a few points. The same thing happened to Ben Hayward in the Men’s K1 event, and Hayley Daniels, in the Women’s C1 event. They placed 29^thand 31^st, respectively.

The Canoe Slalom national team is now on their way to the 2018 ICF World Championships taking place on the Rio De Janeiro course in Brazil, from September 25 to 30.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s websiteto get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoeand @CanoeKayakCANfor more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing listto get all news and results directly to your email.

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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

KANANASKIS, ALBERTA (August 8, 2018) – Canada’s top Whitewater paddlers completed last weekend the 2018 Canadian Whitewater Canoe Kayak Championships in Kananaskis, Alberta. More than 100athletes from across the country, withathletes competing inCanoe Slalom, Freestyle and Wildwater Classic and Sprintevents,for national titles.

The Alberta Slalom Canoe Kayak Association, Alberta Freestyle Kayak Association and the Alberta Whitewater Association were delighted to host this multidiscipline Canadian Championship.

The event also servedas the team trials for the Canoe Freestyle 2019 Worlds Championships team that will compete at the World Championships in Spainnext summer. Slalom athletes also had the opportunity to race for international ranking points as the Championships was part of the International Canoe Federations (ICF) Ranking Series.

The Canoe Meadows facility and the Kananaskis River provided an ideal venue for such an event where participants were able to camp next to the river, paddle two full size international slalom courses and follow each run on a pedestrian friendly venue that gave family, visitors and competitors a great opportunity to watch the action close along the river.

Team Ontario win’s the Brian Creer Cup Title

“Home course advantage is a huge deal for whitewater competitions,” said James Cartwright, Canoe Kayak Canada’s High Performance Manager. “It’s a big deal for Team Ontario to defend the Brian Creer title at the National Championships in Alberta.

Senior National Champions

Canoe Kayak Slalom

Kayak Freestyle

Canoe Kayak Downriver Classic

Canoe Kayak Downriver Sprint

Gabriel Rivett-Carnac, an Ottawa based sports photographer, made the trip down to the Kananaski River in order to capture great moments from the event.

You can find more of his work on his official Facebook pageand by following @GabesImages on Instagram.

https://www.facebook.com/gabesimages/photos/a.388751941563849.1073741830.379361702502873/517978388641203/?type=3

https://www.facebook.com/gabesimages/photos/pcb.516302345475474/516302318808810/?type=3

https://www.facebook.com/gabesimages/photos/pcb.515278815577827/515278788911163/?type=3

https://www.facebook.com/gabesimages/photos/pcb.516136915492017/516136882158687/?type=3

Crossroad Media Productionswere also on site producing a great video edit of the full event. Visit their Facebook page to watch it online.

https://www.facebook.com/578655189201283/videos/629464687453666/

Canoe Kayak Canada is still compiling final results and will be posting all final documents on the results page of the CKC Website soon.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s websiteto get more information and make sure to @CanoeKayakCANfor more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing listto get all news and results directly to your email.

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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

IVREA, ITALY (July 23, 2018) – After a week competing at the 2018 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Slalom Junior and U23 World Championships in Italy, the Canadian Slalom team comes home with a fourth place in the U23 Mixed C2 event.

Lois Betteridge (Ontario) and Yannick Laviolette (Québec) showed a great performance at the World Championships by taking the fourth place in the C2 event behind Spain, Russia and China.

“To finish second in the semi was an amazing feeling”, explained Betteridge and Laviolette. “We went into the final feeling pretty well and then, repeating a nice and clean run in the final was even better. We are looking forward to more racing as crew in the future!”

Betteridge, who was competing in both the Women’s C1 and K1 events, also qualified in the U23 Women’s C1 semi-final, but did not make it into the final. The rest of Canadian team, which was composed of some young athletes, had some great races during the week-end and learned a lot from this international experience.

“I think our athletes will have learned some important lessons about training and racing in Europe over the last weeks,” said Canoe Kayak Canada’s High Performance Manager, James Cartwright. “Their next task is putting those lessons into action and battling for top honours at our National Championships in Alberta”.

Canadian’s top Slalom and Whitewater paddlers are now on their way to Kananaskis, Alberta for the 2018 Canadian Whitewater Canoe Kayak Championships. The event will take place on the Kananaskis River from August 2 to 6.

You can get the ICF World Championships’ full results here and more information about the event on the International Canoe Federation Website.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information about upcoming event and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for all live updates.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada 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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

IVREA, ITALY (July 16, 2018) – Canoe Kayak Canada’s top Canoe Slalom athletes will be representing Canada at the 2018 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Slalom Junior and U23 World Championships. The event is taking place in the small town of Ivrea, in Italy from July 17 to 22.

“Our Canadian Slalom athletes have now finished their last training session on the Ivrea course which is one of the toughest Whitewater courses on the International circuit,” said James Cartwright, High Performance Manager at Canoe Kayak Canada. “They have been preparing for this major championship all summer and I am confident our young and experienced group of paddlers will be able to achieve great performances this week.”

The Canadian Team’s athletes were selected at the National Slalom Team trials last May and have spent the last two weeks in Europe developing their skills on different Whitewater course in Germany, Poland, Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia leading up to the Junior and U23 World Championships.

What:

2018 ICF Canoe Slalom Junior and U23 World Championships

When:

July 17 to 22, 2018

Where:

Via Dora Baltea,

1, 10015 Ivrea TO,

Ivrea, Italy – Map

You can get the competition schedule here and the live results here.

Watch the races live on the International Canoe Federation Website and visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information. Make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for all live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada 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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

KRAKOW, POLAND (July 1, 2018) – Canoe Kayak Canada’s national slalom team finished racing in Poland this weekend competing at the second International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cup. The event took place in Krakow from Friday, June 29 to Sunday, July 1.

Nine Canadian Slalom National team athletes competed in the canoe and kayak events at this World Cup. Florence Maheu (Québec) was Canada’s best result of the weekend by placing 6th in the Women’s K1 Extreme Slalom event.

The Canadian duo of Yannick Laviolette (Québec) and Lois Betteridge (Ontario) got another great result in the Mixed C2 event as they placed 12^th. Maheu had the best result in the Women’s Kayak event with a 37^th place and Ben Hayward (Ontario) placed 45^thin the Men’s event. Haley Daniels (Alberta) took the lead in the Women’s Canoe event placing 36^th while on the Men’s side, Spencer Pomeroy (Ontario) placed 47^th.

“The team’s performance fell below our expectations after a stronger showing last weekend in Slovakia. Our athletes and coaches were unable to put all the sections of a difficult gate set together at the right time. This is what makes the sport a fine balance of power, precision, and finesse. The team will be focused this week and working hard to learn the new top section on the recently modified race course in Augsburg.” said James Cartwright, Canoe Kayak Canada’s High-Performance Manager. “The World Cups are a good preparation for World Championships, so our team will take advantage of all the opportunities leading up to the end of the season.”

Full results of the Canadian team at World Cup 2 are listed below. Athletes will be competing at the next World Cup on July 6 to 9 in Augsburg, Germany.

You can find all live results and information on the coming World Cups by visiting the International Canoe Federation website.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada 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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

Canadian Athletes Ready to Compete at the Second World Cup

LIPTOVSKY MIKULAS, SLOVAKIA (June 27, 2018) – Canoe Kayak Canada’s top canoe slalom paddlers competed the first International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cup this weekend in Liptovský Mikuláš in Slovakia. TheCanadian duo of Yannick Laviolette (Québec) and Lois Betteridge (Ontario) made it to the big final in the C2 Mixed event where they placed ninth. Canadian athletes are now ready for the second World Cup taking place in Poland starting June 29.

“I think it’s great experience for them to race in the final and to take on this new challenge in the mixed double canoe event. This event was popular back in the 70s and 80s and it’s exciting to see it brought back to the international program. They will be learning twice as much by having to prepare for another race run and they will also get more race runs at each world cup. ,” said James Cartwright, High Performance Manager at Canoe Kayak Canada. “We saw four athletes racing in the semifinals this World Cup and we were close in men’s C1 and men’s K1. I’m happy to see that our athletes’ run times are competitive when they execute their race plans.”

Florence Maheu (Québec) was the most impressive this weekend placing 13^thin the Women’s K1 event. Maheu paddled down the course in a time of 108.86 seconds, just one second away from making it to the big final.

“It’s my personal best result at an international competition, and I am really proud of this 13^thplace. Canada hasn’t achieved this results in Women’s K1 in many years,” mentioned Maheu. “My objective this year was to make it into the top 30 at World Cups. This result so far shows my preparation for the Olympic Games is going in the right direction and I am excited to compete at the next World Cups.”

Full results of the Canadian team at World Cup 1 are listed below. Athletes will be competing at the next World Cup on June 29^thto July 1^stin Krakow, Poland.

You can find all live results and information on the coming World Cups by visiting the International Canoe Federation website. Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sur to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing listto get all news and results directly to your email.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada 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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

LIPTOVSKY MIKULAS, SLOVAKIA (June 21, 2018) – Canoe Kayak Canada’s top canoe slalom paddlers will be representing Canada at the first International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cup of a series of five starting this weekend. The Canadian Team will be competing on Friday, June 22 until Sunday, June 24 in Liptovský Mikuláš in Slovakia.

“We have a great group of experienced and young paddlers on the team this year and I am confident our Canadian team will be able to achieve some great performances this weekend in Slovakia,” said James Cartwright, High Performance Manager at Canoe Kayak Canada. “The Canadian team has been preparing in Liptovský Mikuláš since last week and it’s now time to test that preparation.”

Liptovský Mikuláš is a small village in northern Slovakia near the Polish boarder. It is home to some of the best slalom athletes in the world including 1996 and 2008 Olympic Champion, Michal Martikan. Martikan will be racing this weekend in front of a home-town crowd.

The Canadian World Cup team was selected last May at the National Slalom Team trials held in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield in Québec. The team will first compete in Slovakia this weekend, followed by four other World Cup being held in Poland, Germany, Slovenia and Spain over the next few months.

World Cup #1

June 22 to 24 – Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia

World Cup #2

June 29 to July 1 – Krakow, Poland

World Cup #3

July 6 to 8 – Augsburg, Germany

World Cup #4

August 31 to September 2 – Tacen, Slovenia (Canadian team not attending)

World Cup #5 – Final

September 7 to 9 – La Seu D’Urgell, Spain

You can get live results and all information by visiting the International Canoe Federation website. Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more uptades and make sur to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada 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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (Mai 15, 2018) – Canoe Kayak Canada is proud to name 21 athletes to represent Canada at the 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cups and 2018 ICF Junior, U23 and Senior World Championships. Canadian athletes were selected this weekend during the National Slalom Team Trials in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Québec.

“It was great to see our Canadian athletes back on the race course this week-end and we look forward to taking these groups of athletes to compete on the international stage in the coming weeks,” announced James Cartwright, Slalom High Performance Manager at Canoe Kayak Canada. “They have been working hard all winter and they look ready to compete against the best athletes in the world.

The named athletes will be representing Canada at five Slalom World Cups hosted by the International Canoe Federation starting June 22 in Slovakia. The next World Cups will be held in Poland, Germany and Spain over different week-ends between June and September.

The Junior/U23 teams will also compete at the 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom Junior/U23 World Championships taking place July 17 to 22 in Ivrea, Italy, and the senior teams will compete at the 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, September 25 to 30.

You can get the Slalom National Team Trials results online on the Canoe Kayak Canada Website and you can find more information about the ICF events by visiting the International Canoe Federations event’s calendar online.

Team Announcement

Men’s Canoe

Women’s Canoe

Men’s Kayak

Women’s Kayak

Men’s Extreme Slalom

Women’s Extreme Slalom

Mixed Double Canoe

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada 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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

SALABERRY-DE-VALLEYFIELD, QUÉBEC (May 14, 2018) – Canadian Canoe Kayak Whitewater Slalom athletes completed the National Slalom Team Trials of a new season of racing this weekend on the Saint-Charles River in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Québec. During two days of intense competitions, canoe and kayak slalom athletes of all ages tried to secure a spot on the 2018 Canadian team.

“Our junior and senior athletes looked impressive on the race course this week-end,” said James Cartwright, Slalom High Performance manager at Canoe Kayak Canada. “The athletes and coaches were well prepared for the races and I was pleased to see Ben Hayward back on the race course after missing last season from shoulder surgery.”

Photo: GabesImage

Saturday, Florence Maheu (Québec) won the Women’s K1 in both the first and second round with a time of 108.06 and 103.67 seconds, respectively. Michael Tayler (Ontario) won the Men’s K1 first run with a time of 92.08 seconds while Ben Hayward (Alberta) won the second run with a tim of 93.78 seconds.

Canoer Liam Smedley (Ontario) won the Men’s C1 first round with a time of 99.67 seconds while his older brother, Cameron Smedley (Ontario) won the second run with a faster time of 94.94 seconds. In the Women’s C1 event, U23 athlete Lois Betteridge (Ontario) won the first run with a time of 118.83 seconds and Haley Daniels (Alberta) came first in the second run with a time of 111.73 seconds.

On Sunday, Maheu took first place again in the Women’s K1 final run of the weekend with a time of 98.25 seconds, as well as Tayler in the men’s race with a time of 90.31 seconds.

Betteridge won the Women’s C1 final run with a time of 122.08 while Cameron Smedley repeated a win in the Men’s C1 first run with a time of 95.04 seconds and Spencer Pomeroy (Ontario) won the final run with a time of 96.87 seconds.

On the last day of trials, athletes were also competing in the Extreme Slalom event. Ben Hayward (Alberta) came first with the fastest time of the day (77.64 seconds), followed by Maël Rivard (Ontario) with a time of 80.18 seconds and Trevor Boyd (Alberta) with a close time of 80.40 seconds.

Canoe Kayak Canada will be announcing the selected teams that will be representing Canada at the 2018 ICF World Cups and also at the 2018 World Championships later this week.

You can find the full results on the Canoe Kayak Canada website as well as the list of upcoming events for our Slalom athletes.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada 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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785

SALABERRY-DE-VALLEYFIELD, QUÉBEC (May 11, 2018) – Canoe Kayak Canada’s fastest Whitewater Canoe Slalom paddlers will be taking their first strokes into the National Team Selections this weekend in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Québec. This selection of the Canadian Canoe Slalom Team will take place on the Saint-Charles river course at Kayak Valleyfield.

“Our whitewater canoe slalom athletes trained all winter on different rivers around the globe in order to get ready for this national team selection,” said James Cartwright, Slalom High Performance Manager at Canoe Kayak Canada. “They spent the last week training here on the Valleyfield course, and now it is time to test that preparation and select the team that will be representing Canada at the 2018 international events.”

Canoe Kayak Canada will be selecting athletes to compete at the five different 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cups taking place in Europe over the summer. These National Slalom Team Trials will also be used as part of the selection process for the national teams that will be representing Canada at the Senior, U23 and Junior World Championships this year.

What:
Canoe Kayak Canada National Whitewater Canoe Slalom Team Trials

Start Lists & Results

When:
Saturday, May 12^thand Sunday, May 13^th

Where:
Kayak Valleyfield
50 Rue Dufferin,
Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC | Map

Following this event, the Whitewater Canoe Slalom team will be competing at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cups in Slovenia, Poland, Germany and Spain between June and September 2018. The selected teams will also be competing at the Junior and U23 World Championships in Ivrea, Italy, July 12 to 22, and at the Senior World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 25 to 30.

Canoe Kayak Canada will also be hosting the 2018 Canadian Whitewater Canoe Kayak Championships on the Kananaskis River, in Alberta, August 2 to 6. You can find a list of the upcoming events on the Canoe Kayak Canada website.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada 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 :

Joannie Verret

Communications Coordinator

jverret@canoekayak.ca

(418) 271-3785