The International Canoe Federation has finalised the list of authorised kayak cross boat types which can be used for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
The exhaustive process to determine which kayaks would get the ICF’s tick of approval centred around ensuring the boats were able to withstand the rigors of a kayak cross event, while also making sure the boats were safe for all competitors in a race where there is regular contact between athletes and their kayaks.
All the boats that were part of the registration process (18 boats from eight brands) will now be used at ICF Talent Identification Program (TIP) camps, including in Krakow and London this year. They will also be donated to athletes who need equipment support.
The final list of authorised boats can be found here.
ICF canoe slalom committee chair Jean-Michel Prono thanked all the manufacturers who took part in the process.
“This is an exciting time for our sport, so to have so much interest in being part of kayak cross is a real vote of confidence in the program,” he said.
“We are really grateful to all the manufacturers who put in a lot of time and effort to be part of this process. The registration was rigorous because we need to leave nothing to chance. We are confident we have made decisions which will help kayak cross move forward into the future.”
Kayak cross will make its Olympic debut in Paris next year. The Olympic qualifying event for kayak cross will be held in June 2024 in Prague.
There will be the opportunity for all qualifying National Olympic Committees to have up to three athletes competing in the kayak cross competition in Paris.
