Source: Der Westen | Translation: Ulla Fischer - That’s how it should be in 2019 again: strong performances and a good atmosphere at the race course in Duisburg. The world championships will be allocated in March.

The German Canoe Federation (DKV) competes for the world championships 2019 with its race course located in the sports park Wedau. Their strongest opponents will be Szeged and Moscow.

Asked if he is already excited about the world championships, Jürgen Dietz first thinks about the current handball national team in Qatar. Nevertheless, meant was rather a world championship, which the manager of Duisburg-Sport could follow right at his doorstep: the sport park Wedau applied to organise this international canoe event on its own race course in 2019. The last time this title was awarded here was in 2013.


„First of all, the application of the German Canoe Federation needs to be heard”, Dietz says calmly. On Tuesday, the association announced that they will enter the competition for the organisation with its well established Duisburg- partner. „We want to have the world championships of the pre- Olympic season on our renowned race course in Wedau. In the meantime, we have officially submitted our application to the IFC”, DKV-chief Thomas Konietzko said. He knows the value of Duisburg, where the 2013 competitions were just as successful as they were in the years 1979, 1987, 1995 and 2007.

As things stand at the moment, little needs to be done to the race course in order to get it fit for the world championships in four years. “We might have to work on the accessibility, but other than that, everything worked well the last time”, Jürgen Dietz explains. One construction site will be the canoe sports centre: „ This is where we plan a complete redevelopment, which we schedule to be completed until 2017”.

Just in time for the big event, the race course will shine in new splendour. However, Jürgen Dietz does not want to get too excited, just yet: “It is not like it used to be in the past that Duisburg automatically gets selected once it applies”. With eternal rivals such as Szeged in Hungary as well as the Russian capital Moscow there are two serious competitors. The decision between those three applicants will be made on the 21st March in Marrakech.

Should green light be given to Germany, all tasks are already distributed on the national level. As usual, Otto Schulte, together with the canoe- race- federation will function as organiser. He will also be in Marrakech, just as the four- fold Olympic champion Katrin Wagner- Augustin, who wants to help promote Duisburg as venue for the world championship 2019.