BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Canada’s next generation of sprint paddlers made their mark at the 2026 Olympic Hopes Regatta, returning home with 15 medals after three days of racing in Bratislava, Slovakia.
The annual international regatta brought together 734 competitors representing 40 teams, with 322 races contested across the U15, U16 and U17 categories. Canada finished fourth on the overall medal table, behind Hungary, Germany and Brazil.
The results provided plenty of highlights for Team Canada, with athletes reaching the podium across individual and crew events and several paddlers earning multiple medals throughout the weekend.
Fanok opens Canada’s medal count
Elizabeth Fanok was the first Canadian athlete to reach the podium in Bratislava, opening Canada’s medal haul with a dominant performance in the K1 Women U16 1000m.
Fanok captured gold in the event, becoming an Olympic Hopes champion before returning to the start line and adding another gold medal in the K1 Women U16 500m.
Her two victories helped set the tone for a strong week of racing for the Canadian team.
Sangster among the regatta’s top medal winners
Alexandra Sangster was one of Canada’s standout performers, finishing the regatta with four medals and placing among the top 10 medal winners at the event.
Sangster captured gold in the C1 Women U16 5000m and gold in the C1 Women U16 200m, while also earning silver in the C1 Women U16 500m.
She also contributed to Canada’s crew success, joining Katie Cooper, Grace Theunissen and Megan Thompson to win gold in the C4 Women 15–17 500m.
Double podiums highlight strong Canadian showing
Theunissen and Thompson produced one of the weekend’s memorable storylines, reaching the podium together twice in individual competition.
The pair finished second and third respectively in the C1 Women U17 500m, with Theunissen taking silver and Thompson bronze.
They repeated the feat in the C1 Women U17 5000m, this time with Thompson earning silver and Theunissen bronze.
The two athletes also teamed up with Sangster and Cooper for their C4 gold-medal performance.
More medals across the Canadian team
Canada’s medal haul continued throughout the regatta.
Joshua Sargant earned silver in the C1 Men U17 5000m, while Eli Thorp claimed bronze in the C1 Men U16 5000m.
Katie Cooper added an individual bronze medal in the C1 Women U17 200m, while Maëlle Girard captured gold in the C1 Women U15 200m.
Together, the performances contributed to Canada’s total of 15 medals and a fourth-place finish on the overall medal table.
The Olympic Hopes Regatta is an important international development opportunity for young sprint paddlers, giving athletes experience racing against some of the strongest emerging talent from around the world.
For Canada’s next generation, the results in Bratislava offered plenty of reasons to look ahead.
Fifteen medals, multiple podium performances and valuable international experience – the future of Canadian sprint paddling is on the move.
Results – https://live.canoeing.sk/podujatie/7231-olympic-hopes-regatta-2026-2026/