It’s time to get behind Denmark’s Mads Brandt Pedersen after he was named as a contender for The World Games Athlete of the Year 2024.
Pedersen is in need of your support as voting to determine the winner of this coveted prize opens on Thursday (January 9).
The 28-year-old marathon paddler is among 22 athletes in the running for the award after being nominated by the International Canoe Federation following his outstanding season in 2024.
“I’m incredibly honoured to be nominated for The World Games Athlete of the Year,” said Pedersen.
“This recognition is not just about me, it’s a celebration of Canoe Marathon as a sport.
“It’s exciting to see our discipline gain more attention, and I hope this nomination helps to showcase the challenges, excitement, and passion that define Canoe Marathon.
“Denmark has a strong tradition in the sport, and in recent years, our national team has been delivering outstanding results.
“We support and inspire each other to progress, and I’m proud to be part of such a strong collective effort.
“This nomination reflects not only my achievements but also the strength and spirit of Danish Canoe Marathon.”
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It was a stunning year for Pedersen who captured world and European titles in Canoe Marathon and defended his world title in Canoe Sprint.
Pedersen was sensational in July in Poznan, Poland, where he clinched the long-distance and short-distance kayak single crowns at the European Canoe Association Canoe Marathon European Championships.
Two months later in Metkovic, Croatia, Pedersen stole the show again with a magnificent double at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships.
It was the best season of my career so far
For the first time in his career, Pedersen clinched the men’s K1 short-distance world title after seeing off South Africa’s Hamish Lovemore.
Pedersen then completed the double when he powered to his fourth men’s K1 long-distance crown, adding to his victories in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
This success in Metkovic also saw Pedersen earn a quota for Denmark for The World Games 2025.
As well as achieving Canoe Marathon glory, Pedersen succeeded at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.
Pedersen won his second successive men’s K1 5000m world title in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
“It was the best season of my career so far,” said Pedersen.
“My main goal was to qualify for the Olympics, which led me to spend the winter in Australia focusing on refining my skills and pushing myself further.
“While I didn’t manage to secure a spot in the Olympic 1000m, the improvements I made had a huge impact on my performance.
“I was able to use everything I’d learned to win the World Championships in the 5000m, short track, and marathon.
“A particularly memorable moment was competing in the K2 marathon with my friend Søren Maretti.
“We only teamed up at the last minute after his K2 partner and my training partner Philip Knudesen fell ill, and we hadn’t trained together in advance.
“Despite the challenges, we finished fourth in Metkovic, which was an unexpected and rewarding experience.
“This season has been a testament to perseverance and believing in progress.
“None of this would have been possible without the incredible people around me – my coach Thor Nielsen, my teammates, family, sponsors and so many more helping me achieve what I have.
“It’s been an unforgettable year, and I’m excited for the years to come with many exciting competitions coming up.”
Pedersen is the reigning champion in the men’s short-race at The World Games thanks to his triumph in Birmingham, USA in 2022, where he also picked up silver in the men’s standard distance.
Canoe Marathon made its debut at The World Games 2022 and will feature again this year in Chengdu, China along with Canoe Polo and Dragon Boat.
How does the voting work?
It’s now up to you to help Pedersen achieve The World Games Athlete of the Year 2024 crown.
From 12pm GMT on January 9 until January 22, you can cast your votes every 24 hours on www.theworldgames.org.
Every time you vote, you must choose two candidates – two votes go to your first choice and one to your second choice.
The vote will not be registered if you try to give votes to only one candidate.
If Pedersen is among the top 10 highest-ranked candidates, he will advance to the final round of voting.
From 12pm GMT on January 22 until 12pm GMT on January 31, you will be able to choose your favourites again with the same voting procedures being applied.
The International World Games Association will scrutinise the voting process closely and deal with any anomalies that appear.
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