Four days after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games came to a close, focus has already shifted to the 2024 International Canoe Federation Wildwater Canoeing World Championships, set to start in Sabero tomorrow.
Scheduled to be held until August 17, 240 athletes from 27 countries will target world titles in classic and sprint events.
Slovenian Nejc Znidarcic will be among the many multiple world champions in Spain this week and the 40-year-old will be competing in the men’s kayak classic.
Up against him is fellow countryman and another multiple world medallist Anze Urankar.
Giulia Formenton, the 26-year-old Italian, will be the one to look out for in the women’s kayak classic.
Formenton has won three world titles, with one of her competitors being Lisa Vinet of France.
Marie Nemcova of Czechia will be among the favourites in the women’s canoe, along with Italian youngster Cecilia Panato, daughter of wildwater canoeing legend Vladi Panato.
Panato will be high on confidence having won two gold medals at the 2024 ECA Junior and U23 Wildwater Canoeing European Championships in Dallenwil this year.
Elsa Gaubert won the women’s C1 title before teaming up with Eve Vitali-Guilbert to claim women’s C2 crown at the World Cup in Mezzana in June, making it difficult to rule the duo out.
Ondrej Rolenc and Daniel Suchanek will add to Czechia’s power in Sabero as they line-up in the men’s canoe double classic.
Hugues Moret and Pierre Troubady will look to ensure the French are continuing their form after impressing at the ICF Wildwater Canoeing World Cup in Mezzana.
Great Britain’s Emma and Kerry Christie will also seek to continue their World Cup form into the World Championships when they compete in the women’s canoe double classic.
Ahead of the competition, a meeting of nations took place yesterday that saw 60 people attend, with Wildwater Canoeing calendar and future strategy among the topics of discussion.
The grand stage will also showcase the togetherness in the community, with 12 teams working together to support the developing nations with equipment at the World Championships.
Sabero will also host the Masters World Championships simultaneously.
Related links
