Blog posts
Czechs enjoy a big week in Switzerland
The Czechs love whitewater paddling, especially slalom and wildwater. They are as at home in the bubble and froth as most of us are in a bath on a Saturday night.
One who seems to enjoy it more than most is Martina Satkova. At the 2018 ICF Wildwater World Championships she had an absolute ball, winning four gold medals across C1, K1, C2 and K2. Such was her form, she could have paddled down the Muotothal, Switzerland, course in a bathtub and saluted the judge.
She also picked up a silver and a bronze medal on the final day, and ended the championships by...Read more
World watches as dragon boat makes history in 2018
“This is a program on the rebound,” said Jim O’Dell, United States regional dragon boat coach, after his team were awarded the Nations Cup at the 2018 ICF Dragon Boat World Championships at Lake Lanier, Atlanta.
“After Moscow two years ago, nobody — these other nations have talked with me — expected us to do this well.”
Team USA shared the closing ceremonies platform with Germany and the Czech Republic as the prestigious event came to a close
Teams from 14 countries raced in dragon boats, which are similar to canoes but longer, seating 12 or 22 people,...Read more
2018 sees changing of the guard in canoe marathon
The two biggest names in the history of ICF canoe marathon picked up gold medals in 2018, but it wasn’t in the events fans had become use to seeing them dominate.
Hungary’s Renata Csay and South Africa’s Hank McGregor are the two biggest legends in the sport, and in Portugal they both added another gold medal to their healthy collection.
This time they shared the moment with their respective K2 partners, on the final day of the 2018 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Prado Vila Verde, Portugal.
McGregor, a seven-time individual champion, clocked up...Read more
Enveloped in heartache, Germany makes canoe polo history
The tears were real, and they flowed freely when the German men’s team broke through to win the 2018 ICF Canoe Polo World Championships in Welland, Canada, in August.
The emotions weren’t confined to the men’s team. There was barely a dry eye in the house, among a crowd who knew the journey the players had been on to get to the top of the podium.
On the eve of the 2018 World Championships, Fiete Junge, a popular member of the German men’s team, died from a sudden illness. He was just 26-years-old.
It devastated the international canoe polo community and...Read more
What does the Fox say? Bring on Tokyo 2020!
There were lots of incredible moments during the 2018 ICF canoe slalom season, lots of pulsating moments, bundles of headline-grabbing moments – but when the dust settled and the last of the water pumps was turned off, one athlete stood taller than all others – Jessica Fox.
Superlatives that hardly do justice to the slalom season delivered by the 24-year-old Australian have been coming thick and fast, but not as thick and fast as the number of titles the two-time Olympic medallist notched up in a paddling frenzy that left world-class opponents floundering in her wake...Read more
