OTTAWA, ONTARIO (July 4, 2018) – Close to 400 sprint paddlers from all across the country came together to celebrate Canada Day at the 2018 East and West Canada Cup happening Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1. The Canada Cup West took place on Lake Wascana in Regina, while the Canada Cup East was held on Mooney’s Bay in Ottawa.

“It was really great to see so many sprint paddlers from all over Canada and the United states, competing at these two Canada Cups,” said Canoe Kayak Canada’s Director of Development, Ian Mortimer, who attended both events over the weekend. “The Canada Cup event is an amazing racing opportunity for developing athletes as they get to compete against other provinces, clubs and countries. It is also a great way to celebrate the Canada Day weekend, it was pretty special to watch paddlers from the Yukon to Nova Scotia competing at these two events over a single weekend.”

The Canada Cups included single, crew boat and war canoe races and saw participants from 25 teams from across North America including American and Canadian Clubs, as well as Canadian Provincial Teams.

Due to the extreme heat of Ottawa, many of the East Canada Cup’s races were canceled on July 1 for safety and health concerns of all participants and volunteers as the Humidex soared to the mid 40°C range.

The team championship trophy for East Canada Cup was secured by the home team, the Rideau Canoe Club who pulled out a victory over the Ontario Team  and the Atlantic Team over this shortened schedule. The West Canada Cup was won by the Calgary Canoe Club, earning a victory over Oklahoma City River Sport and the Wascana Racing Canoe Club.

Canadian sprint paddlers now enter their Divisional Regatta schedules, competing in their local regions as they set their sights on Lac Des Nations in Sherbrook for the 2018 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships, taking place from August 28 to September 1.

Visit the Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get all results from the East Canada Cup and the West Canada Cup, make sure to follow @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates and photos from the event.

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