2015 ICF World Championships Slalom
 
1
2
3
K1M
CZ J. PRSKAVEC
PL M. POLACZYK
US M. SMOLEN
K1W
CZ K. KUDEJOVA
DE R. FUNK
DE M. PFEIFER
C1M
GB D. FLORENCE
SI B. SAVSEK
GB R. WESTLEY
C1W
AU J. FOX
CZ K. HOSKOVA
ES N. VILARRUBLA
C2
DE ANTON/BENZIEN
FR PICCO/BISO
FR KLAUSS/PECHE

Olympic Programme Commission Confirmed for Paddlesports

canoe kayak paddlesports icf press release olympic program committee commission sportscene board meeting directors

ICF  - The International Canoe Federation (ICF) Board of Directors Meeting was held in Lausanne, Switzerland from the 29-30 March.

José Perurena, ICF President and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member, initiated a Canoeing Olympic Programme Commission to ensure that the ICF improves the sport’s ranking according to the IOC’s assessment and maintains its existing athlete, medal and event quota.

The commission will develop criteria based on the key messages from the IOC for evaluating canoeing’s Olympic Programme; this will be carried out over the next 24 months with an inclusive approach that consults all stakeholders.

The commission comprises of six members, Cecilia Farias (ARG), Mario Santos (POR), Jean-Michel Prono (FRA), Lluis Rabaneda Caselles (ESP), Frank Garner (CAN) and chair, Thomas Konietzko (GER).

They will also assess each canoeing discipline from an Olympic Programme perspective and look to enhance the canoeing Olympic Programme for 2020, 2024 and 2028.

Perurena said, “This commission is important for the future of our sport. It is key that we continue to evolve our entire sport and search for ways to improve.”

Christophe Dubi, IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games, was also in attendance and presented the future vision for the Games to the ICF Board.

Dubi talked about how sports need to ensure that they remain relevant to modern society, and prioritise sport participation and spectating to support sporting excellence.

He also touched on funding models and developing products (disciplines) with a value proposition, particularly for the current non-Olympic disciplines. In addition, he talked about the value of alternative pathways to the Olympics through other multi-sport Games, for example The World Games.

Continuing with the Olympic theme, Duisburg, Germany was selected as the second canoe sprint Olympic Qualification venue for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The event is likely to take place in May 2016 in conjunction with the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup, with the first opportunity to qualify for the Games being at the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan, Italy.