On the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games the very best of the next generation of Canoe Sprint paddlers from around the world will gather in Bulgaria to test themselves against the top under 23 and junior athletes.
Hundreds of athletes from more than 60 countries and representing every continent have arrived in Plovdiv for the five-day International Canoe Federation Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships.
While most of the top young athletes who will be competing in Paris early next month will not lime up in Plovdiv, the event will be a perfect opportunity for athletes who are eying off the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2032 Games in Brisbane to test their development.
The powerhouse Canoe Sprint nations of Hungary, Germany, Spain and China are well represented at this week’s championships, but there are several countries who will have only one or two athletes lining up.
Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Guam, Peru, Sao Tome and Principe, Tajikistan, Uruguay and Vietnam are among the developing nations who will be giving exciting young athletes the opportunity to test themselves on the world stage.
The ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships begin on Wednesday and will run through until Sunday. The event webpage, which includes start lists and results, can be found here.
Full coverage of this week's event can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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