Ottawa, ON (April 1, 2021) – In light of the ICF decision to postpone the Junior & U23 World Championships to September 2021, and due the increasing Covid-19 concerns across the country, Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) has decided to postpone the Sprint National Team Trials to August – location will be Ottawa or Montreal and dates are still to be determined. This change will allow a longer preparation period for many of our paddlers who have been unable to get on the water yet due to the varying COVID-19 restrictions across the country. We believe this is the only prudent course of action when evaluating the current COVID-19 situation and the significant logistical and financial commitments imposed on all stakeholders, including athletes, parents, and coaches.
This decision will shift our preparation plan to the club environment in April/May, to regional competition in June/July, to National competitions in August, and International competitions in September. We are currently exploring possible dates and formats for an August trials, which we will plan in concert with the Sprint National Championships currently slated to be held in Ottawa from August 24-29. The Sprint National Team Trials will be held in either Ottawa or Montreal. Confirmation of the location and dates will be announced as soon as possible. The intention is to reduce travel frequency and allow athletes to attend both the trials and the National Championships.
Based on the current Covid-19 outlook, including travel restrictions, limits on crew boat activity and limits on event sizes, the National Championships will likely be restricted to singles (K1/C1/V1) events. We will continue to monitor the Covid-19 landscape, and if crew boats become an option, we will add those to our planned race card. CKC thanks the Rideau Canoe Club (RCC) organizing committee for all their ongoing efforts and we will continue to work closely with RCC to host a successful event. We are confident that we will be able to run a safe Championships in August.
We will be continuing to work with the Coaches Technical Committee, Domestic Development Committee and the Sprint Racing Council to finalize our plans for these modified National Championships in the coming weeks. The draft race card and qualification plan will be posted on June 1st and will be finalized by July 1st.
We will also work with our Provincial/Territorial and Divisional leaders in the coming weeks to explore options for aligned regional competition at the end of June to provide some virtual competition amongst our community.
Please note these changes to do not impact Olympic and Paralympic preparation or planned competitions at this point in time. All activities for Tokyo continue to move forward as planned.
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.
-30-