ICF - Istvan Vaskuti (HUN) and Tony Estanguet (FRA) each won their respective election campaigns to secure the 1st and 3rd Vice President positions at the 2014 International Canoe Federation Congress in Warsaw, Poland.

Both Vaskuti and Estanguet possess exceptional Olympic pedigree; Vaskuti won gold in the C2 Men 500m Canoe Sprint event at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, whilst Estanguet's dominance in the Canoe Slalom C1 Men's event spans three Olympic Games, winning gold in Sydney, Athens and London.

Since retiring from the sport after the London Olympic Games, Estanguet has been catapulted into the political spotlight winning a number of high profile positions, including becoming a member of the International Olympic Committee.

However, this is his first foray into the political sphere at international level for the sport he practiced.

With continuous service since 2008, it is Vaskuti's third time in the 1st Vice President hot seat (2008-10, 2010-14, 2014-16).

Vaskuti commented, "We are a big family and I'm very happy to be a member of this family, it is a lifelong passion that continues to grow."

Specific in his vision for the future of the ICF, the 59-year-old Hungarian selected three areas of focus: governance reform, an increase in media profile and a push towards enhancing the quality of the developing nations within the canoeing world.

Interestingly, the 36-year-old Frenchman's presentation picked out similar points with the addition of an insiders view gained from his time within the Olympic movement.

João Tomasini Schewertner (BRA), the Brazilian Canoe Federation President, was Vaskuti's opponent; whilst Jozef Bejnarowicz (POL), the Polish Canoe Federation President, was the other candidate in the running for the 3rd Vice President slot.


Committee Elections
 
Italy's Andrea Donzelli secured enough votes to replace the incumbent Canoe Polo Chair, Greg Smale (GBR), in the closest election contest of the 2014 ICF Congress.

Donzelli was delighted by his success; but was keen to highlight the commitment and dedication that the outgoing Chair had shown, congratulating Smale on the achievements and progression of the discipline under his leadership.

The ICF President, José Perurena (ESP), echoed these views.

It was a much easier process for the two remaining disciplines up for election, with Lluis Rabaneda (ESP, Canoe Freestyle) and Mario Santos (POR, Ocean Racing) each retaining their positions as Chair of their respective committees unopposed.

The remaining position to be voted upon was the Chair of the Medical Committee, where Dr Donald McKenzie (CAN) was given the vote of confidence ahead of Dr. Jozsef Toman (HUN).

Both candidates provided excellent presentations that outlined their visions and priorities to meet the demands of this complex area of work.

Following his success, McKenzie welcomed the talented Hungarian to join the Medical Committee.

Toman, 37, looks to have bright future and adds further to the new wave of young committee members operating at the top level of canoeing administration. He joins Maree Burnett (Continental Representative Oceania), Anders Gustafsson (Chair Athletes' Committee) and Tony Estanguet (3rd Vice President), all still in their thirties.