Sportscene | John Gregory | @gregiej – For a sport with such strong European roots, this marks a potential tipping point in the Americas. This started with the 2014 Senior ICF Worlds in Deep Creek. Now with these Junior/ U23 Worlds in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, then next the Pan American Games this summer on the Gull river in Ontario, Canada and culminating with the Rio Olympics in 2016.

With a few exceptions notably Stepenka Hilgertova (CZE) and David Ford (CAN) canoe slalom appears to be shifting towards a sport where our Junior and U23 athletes are performing to a higher and higher standard and appearing on the World stage. Again there have been previous trailblazers; Michael Martikan (SVK) collected his first Senior World Championship medal at the age of 16. Great inspiration, if any were needed. We know that there is a very high historical correlation between Junior World Champions and future Olympic medallists.

In Ana Satila, Brazil also holds its best opportunity yet to be on the podium at a home ICF World Championships. Satila, now 19, as a junior last year in Penrith took the K1W Junior World Championship title, where her time was just outside the U23 podium. Already an Olympian, Satila will be racing in the U23. She is very capable of being on it and has a home course advantage. Asked how she is feeling Satila said, 

Having the Worlds in Foz, Brazil means a lot to me of course. Emotional because my family will be watching, proud to have my friends and athletes here from all over the world and it feels exciting with all the media attention, which is a good exercise for the Rio Olympics next year. 

There is stiff competition. Not only is Jess Fox the defending U23 World Champion in K1W and C1W, she is also the Senior World Champion in both classes. Actually looking back Fox has won gold medal at the last four J/U23 World Championships. Sure bet – who knows? Again Fox started the season strong at the Australian Open championships. Talking in Foz this week Fox said,

Racing here in Foz is exciting and different from the competitions we are used to in Europe or even in the US last year. It's a sub-tropical climate, a different and really interesting culture and not to forget the waterfalls of course, which are truly amazing.   

Junior & U23 World Champions from last 2 years (2013 & 2014)

Of the above athletes look out for Mario Leitner (AUT), Amalie Hilgertova (CZE), Jiri Prskavec (CZE) ranked ICF World no. 4, Lucie Prioux (FRA), Florian Breuer (GER) who raced in Deep Creek, Mallory Franklin (GBR) who won silver in C1W behind Fox at the Deep Creek Worlds, Roberto Colazingari (ITA) who was 18th at Deep Creek, Jakub Grigar (SVK) and C2 crews Matejka/ Vetrovsky (CZE) and Gewissler/ Skakala (SVK).

Expect the Junior/ U23 Worlds starting in Foz this week to be delivered to a very high standard. Their National Championships have a reputation for looking like World Cup races. The Senior Worlds have been to Brazil before in 1997 at Três Coroas and here in Foz in 2007. João Tomasini - CBCa President shared; “We are assured of a great event, thanks to a great partnership between the ICF, FEPACAN and support of BNDES sponsors together with Incentive Law, Itaipu, GE and Sports Ministry. We hope for excellent results of the team”.

The Brazilian’s have faced some tough conditions in the run-up to this race with painful long droughts that have turned many parts of this flamboyant country to dust. The Paraibuna reservoir supplying Rio dried up for the first time since 1978. The Foz course after being dry for much of 2014 again has water flowing thanks to specially installed new pumps. Guillermo Diez-Canedo, Técnico de Canoagem Slalom and Equipe Permanente de Foz do Iguaçu had previously stated that; “2015 should be an amazing year for us from the very beginning, with the Junior & U23 Worlds at home.”

I have been fortunate enough to follow the exploits of the team since we met for an evening in Prague at the 2013 Worlds. This is an important test for Brazil, both the Junior/U23 athletes, which incidentally is almost the entire team as well as the nation with the Rio Olympics starting to loom. They are a young, highly passionate and motivated team who don’t give up and with their up and coming junior development have high expectations for the future.

This race is also important for other reasons. This summer’s Pan Am Games in Minden Hills, Canada is part of the qualification process for the Rio Olympics. Only four of the Pan Am countries competed in the last London2012 Olympic canoe slalom race at Lee Valley, namely; Argentina, Brazil, Canada and USA. There are 30 nations and 28 nations competing in the Junior and U23 Worlds respectively. In Foz, there are 8 nations form the Americas, three from North America (Canada, Mexico & USA) and five from South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay & Venezuela).

Race Schedule:

• Tuesday April 21 – Opening Ceremony
• Wednesday April 22 – Qualification K1M, C1W, C1M U23 & J
• Thursday April 23 – Qualification K1W, C2M U23 & J
• Friday April 24 – Semi-final K1M, C1W, C1M, K1W, C2M U23 & J
• Saturday April 25 – Finals K1M, C1M, C1W U23 & J plus single run teams
• Sunday April 26 – Finals K1W & C2 U23 & J plus single run teams

Good luck to the athletes racing in Foz. Live results are available through www.sportscene.tv/liveresults, www.canoeliveresults.com and usual channels. I will be tweeting semi & final results through @gregiej. Just search #ICFslalom to follow. If you have any spare time or energy in Foz you can always challenge them to a game of soccer!