The International Canoe Federation can today confirm that all the Canoe Marathon quotas have been allocated for The World Games 2025 in Chengdu.
A total of 40 athletes — 20 men and 20 women — will compete in the K1 long-distance and K1 short-distance events at next year’s Games.
Quota places were decided at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Metkovic in September this year.
The spots are allocated to National Federations (NFs) and not to the athlete that qualified.
The first-placed boat from each continent in the men’s K1 long-distance and women’s K1 long-distance races in Croatia secured a quota for their NF.
Eleven of them were allocated to the best-ranked NFs not yet qualified in the long-distance races, while three more spots were offered to the best-ranked NF from the results of the short-distance races.
China sealed their ticket in the men's and women's races as the host nation.
The men's races will see Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Spain, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and China compete in long-distance and short-distance.
Among women, Argentina, Australia, Czechia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, France, Italy, South Africa and China will battle it out.
The long-list deadline for NFs is on April 30 next year, while the final entry is set for June 30.
Canoe Marathon made its debut at The World Games as an invitational sport in Cali, Colombia, in 2013.
It became a medal event for the first time at the previous edition in Birmingham, United States, in 2022.
The Canoe Marathon qualification system used for Chengdu 2025 was the same as the one used in 2022.
Two more ICF disciplines — Canoe Polo and Dragon Boat — will feature in the Chengdu 2025 programme.
The Xinglong Lake Wetland Park in Chengdu has been chosen as the venue for Canoe Marathon and Dragon Boat.
Races in Canoe Marathon and Dragon Boat will run on August 9 and 10, 2025, allowing spectators to see both disciplines on the two days.
Ruud Heijselaar, Chair of the ICF Canoe Marathon Committee, said: “Canoe Marathon promises to be a spectacular event with athletes from all continents participating and China as hosts.
“The results achieved in Birmingham in 2022 will be a challenge to match with new strong countries that will participate.
“Following our site visits earlier this year, we are confident that Chengdu will undoubtedly deliver a memorable event.”
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