Connor Taras | Sportscene - Ready. Set. Go! Beginning this Friday, May 10th, hundreds of athletes from over 50 nations, including many who competed in last years summer Olympic Games, will be competing on the Maty-ér regatta course in Szeged, Hungary which is the first stop on 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup series.

Szeged will once again play host to legends and rising stars alike. Though 2012 saw the retirement of canoeing legends such as Tim Brabants (GBR), and Josefa Idem (ITA), the first world cup will still draw many familiar faces. Max Hoff (GER), Rene Holten Poulsen (DEN), Anders Gustafsson (SWE), Mark Oldershaw (CAN), and Lisa Carrington (NZL) will face off against the majority of the 2012 Hungarian Olympic team, including, Danuta Kozak (HUN), Krisztina Fazekas Zur (HUN), and Attila Vajda (HUN) in front of a raucous Hungarian crowd. 

Following last year’s 2012 London Olympic Games, the pressure for some athletes is a little less.

“I'm excited for the World Cup season. The year after the Olympics is always a little bit more relaxed, so I'm looking forward to just going out there and racing hard and having fun,” said Mark Oldershaw (CAN), 2012 Olympic bronze medaist “I took some time off after London and I'm not exactly sure how fast I am, so it will also be a good test to see where I am and how much work I still need to do.”

2x Olympian and 2008 Olympic silver medalist Rene Holten Poulsen (DEN) said, “I’m excited to race. It’s been a lot of fun training this spring. I’ve been focused on training and actually haven’t thought as much about racing. It will be interesting to see what people have: who is out, who is in, who is new. And if I have improved myself.”

With 1000’s of fans expected to fill the stands at the Maty-ér regatta course, it has also been confirmed that Eurosport along with several other Hungarian media outlets will broadcast the competition across Europe and Hungary.

A few nations will be missing from the start list in Szeged. Team Canada -- with the exception of Mark Oldershaw -- will hold their team selection race the same weekend as the World cup in Szeged and therefor will be absent from the race card.

Who to look out for

Men’s Kayak
There are the obvious to look for in the 1000m including Max Hoff (GER), Rene Holten Poulsen (DEN), and Anders Gustafson (SWE). With the retirement of Tim Brabants (GBR), John Boyton (GBR) will take the reigns for Great Britain canoeing in the 1000m K-1 event after winning their selection a few weeks ago. The powerhouse nation of Hungary will be entering 23-year-old Bálint Gere in the k-1 1000m as their A-entry. In K-2 1000m, the Portuguese crew of Pimenta and Silva, 2012 Olympic silver medalist, will get to show down against the 2012 Olympic gold medalist crew from Hungary, Dombi and Kökény, after a tight race in London for the top spot.

In the 200m, 2011 World Champion, Piotr Sieminoski (POL) will line up against 2012 Olympic champion, Ed McKeever (GBR) in the K-1 200m in what always proves to be a tight race.

Women’s Kayak
In the women’s events, returning from London is Great Britain’s Rachel Cawthorn that will line up in the K-1 500m against Germanys Tina Dietz, 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the k-2 500m. New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington, the 2012 Olympic Champion, will fight to keep her top spot in the 200m. She will also show up at the starting line in the k-1 500m. The crowds will love the race between the two Hungarian entries of Danuta Kozak, 2012 K-1 & K-4 500m Olympic champion, and Kriztina Fazekas, 2012 K-4 500m Olympic champion, in the K-1 500m event.

Men’s Canoe
Sebastian Brendel (GER), 2012 Olympic champion in the C-1 1000m will be someone to watch out for. With the hometown crowd behind him, 2008 Olympic champion and multiple World Champion Attilia Vajda (HUN) knows how to preform and deliver to his fans. Mark Oldershaw (CAN), 2012 bronze medalist, will also be on the starting line in the C-1 1000m. Russia’s Ivan Shtyl, 2012 bronze medalist in the C-1 200m, will be someone to keep an eye on in the 200m C-1 events.

Women’s Canoe
With the Canadians not racing the first world up, the women’s C-1 200m and C-2 500m events are anyone’s race.  The rapid growth of talent in the women's canoe events, ensure that the races will be tight between Kincső Takács (HUN), bronze medalist at the 2011 World Championships, and Maria Kazakova (RUS), silver medalist at the 2011 World championships, and the rest of the field.

Event website: http://icfworldcupszeged.com/en