Australia’s Curtis McGrath and Great Britain’s Emma Wiggs, who hold seven Paralympic titles between them, will return to international action as they begin their roads to Los Angeles 2028.
Brandenburg, Germany will hold the International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup from Thursday to Sunday with both Olympic and Paralympic Ranking points on offer in the quest for qualification.
After one year away from competition, four-time Paralympic champion McGrath is back in a kayak ready to compete in the men’s KL2.
There will also be a welcome return for Wiggs, the triple Paralympic gold medallist, who will race for the first time in more than 600 days.
Wiggs, who has recovered from shoulder surgery, will compete in the women’s VL2.
She will add to a strong British team that includes Charlotte Henshaw, Hope Gordon and David Phillipson.
Brazil’s Fernando Rufino De Paulo, Chile’s Katherinne Wollermann, Ukraine’s Vladyslav Yepifanov and Hungary’s Peter Kiss will be the other Paris 2024 Paralympic champions in action.
Chinette Karina Lauridsen, the reigning world champion in the women’s VL1, will be hoping to deliver gold on home waters.
In Canoe Sprint, Germany’s men’s kayak four team will be looking to bounce back after missing out on a medal at the first ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup of the season in Szeged last week.
The Olympic champions ranked fifth in the men’s K4 500m final as Hungary emerged victorious in front of their home fans.
Jacob Schopf and Max Lemke and Paulina Paszek and Pauline Jagsch will be seeking to replicate their Szeged success in Brandenburg in their kayak double boats.
Last week saw Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta star with gold medals in the men’s kayak single over 1000m and 5000m.
Pimenta will once again face challenges from Hungary’s Balint Kopasz and Denmark’s Mads Brandt Pederson to retain those titles.
The Chinese team have enjoyed a superb start to the season, topping the medal table at both the Asian Canoe Sprint Championships and the World Cup opener in Szeged.
They will be aiming to continue that fantastic form with Olympic champions Mengya Sun and Bowen Ji eyeing more gold medals.
Another paddler in sensational form is Ukraine’s Liudmyla Luzan who set a world’s best time in the women’s canoe single 200m in Szeged before clinching the women’s canoe double 500m crown with Anastasiia Rybachok.
Full coverage of the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cups can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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