Dear ICF Friends,
What an exciting year we can look back on!
One highlight followed another in 2024: the Olympic and Paralympic Games, 34 World Championships and World Cups, our Congress in Antalya, and a new competition format that brought together five of our disciplines for the first time in one event. And all of this happened in the centenary year of our Federation.
We saw full spectator stands in Paris, record engagement on our social media platforms, unprecedented numbers of TV and streaming viewers, not only at the Olympic Games, and for the first time, athletes from all five continents won gold medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
We can all be proud of this remarkable year as part of our global canoe family and of how we presented our sport to the world.
This success would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication of thousands of individuals across all five continents, to whom we owe our deepest gratitude.
As the ICF leadership, we see ourselves as service providers for our members and fully recognize that none of this would have been achievable without the tireless efforts of coaches, officials, sponsors, and supporters in clubs and continental associations, as well as the extraordinary performances of our athletes.
So, to all of you who are passionate about our sport, a heartfelt thank you for your dedication to canoeing.
Let’s carry this spirit forward as we embrace new challenges in 2025.
Together with the participation of many of our stakeholders, we aim to discuss and refine a new Olympic qualification system that will elevate our World Cups and continental championships while strengthening continental Olympic qualifications.
We plan to conduct a comprehensive review of our organisation to better prepare for the future and to enhance both our social media presence and viewership through various initiatives.
We want to involve you even more and keep you regularly informed of all the latest developments. Only to mention some of our tasks ahead.
We can achieve the ambitious goals on our agenda for the coming year only by working together.
I am honoured to lead this great organisation, but above all, I am proud of all our dedicated stakeholders in 171 National Federations, whom we can count on at all times.
Let’s continue to work together in this spirit and take our sport to new heights. I wish you all a healthy and happy new year.
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