July 16, 2020 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) regrets to announce that Andreas Dittmer (Men’s Sprint Canoe Head Coach) will be returning to his home country to join the German Canoe Federation in the lead up to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“We are proud to have recruited Andreas back into the sport system and we were thrilled to have him join our coaching team for the last 2 years,” said CKC Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “He has had a tremendous impact on our athletes and quickly made many friends and renewed old acquaintances from his time as an athlete. We are sad and disappointed to see Andreas leave but we understand it is a great opportunity for Andreas to coach the Men’s Canoe Team in his home country. Canoe Kayak Canada staff and all the coaches, volunteers and of course the athletes wish him all the best in his return to Germany.”
The German Olympian joined the CKC high performance coaching team in 2018, hired on to lead the Canadian Men’s canoeing program.
“I am very grateful for the great opportunity to work for CKC,” said Dittmer. “I look back on the intense, challenging and very beautiful times in Canada. A special thanks goes to my athletes, to all coaches and the staff. I wish the whole team all the best for the future and may your Olympic Dream come true.”
Over the next month, the CKC leadership team will work together with Andreas on the transition plan to ensure the program and our athletes continue to thrive in the lead up to Tokyo 2021.
CKC’s Chief Executive Officer, Casey Wade added, “While we will certainly miss Andreas, we are in great hands with both our high performance leadership and world-class coaching team and we remain very confident in our continued success in the lead up to Tokyo and Paris 2024.”
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About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.