ICF disciplines gear up for a significant resurgence in 2022

After two years of pandemic-related disruptions and uncertainty, the ten disciplines of the International Canoe Federation (ICF) are determined to make a strong comeback in the 2022 season. New chairs for all ten ICF disciplines were confirmed at the recent Rome congress, each tasked with restoring their sport to pre-pandemic levels through a comprehensive 2022 event calendar. While some competitions occurred, athlete and country participation suffered due to international travel restrictions. The ICF hopes for full fields at the 2022 world championships across all disciplines, a recovery particularly crucial for non-Olympic and Paralympic sports.

Discipline Leaders Outline 2022 Plans

Ocean Racing

ICF Ocean Racing chairman Colin Simpkin noted that travel restrictions significantly hampered participation, even at the 2021 world championship. His committee will prioritize hosting world championships and supporting lead-up events until global travel fully reopens.

Canoe Freestyle

Newly elected chair Terry Best believes the pandemic hit Canoe Freestyle at its worst moment, causing a total loss of momentum. He highlighted that the sport thrives on both competition and community, both impossible during the pandemic, leading to fragmented communities that now require rebuilding from scratch.

Canoe Marathon

Canoe Marathon successfully held its 2021 world championships in Romania, which also served as a qualifier for The World Games. Despite some nations being unable to attend due to Covid-19, chair Ruud Heijselaar praised organizers for overcoming significant uncertainty to deliver a "fantastic World Cup" with over 600 paddlers from 34 countries.

Wildwater

Manuela Gawehn made history as the first woman elected chair of an ICF discipline, now leading Wildwater. She noted that validating events during Covid-19 was challenging due to low participation. Her committee aims...

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