The IOC has accepted a recommendation from the International Canoe Federation (ICF) to remove two events from the sprint kayaking program for Paris 2024.
The Paris 2024 kayaking program will now include the following events:
- WK1 500
- WK2 500
- WK4 500
- MK1 1000
- MK2 500
- MK4 500
CRNZ is working with a number of other national federations and an international group of athletes to explore options to review the decision. We are concerned with the way in which the decision was made, and also the lack of long-term strategic focus and communication from the ICF.
For background information on the ICF’s decision and the reaction of federations and athletes, please see the following links:
- A letter from 20 national federations (including CRNZ), supported by a number of prominent athletes, questioning the ICF’s decision-making process.
- A press release via Global Athlete, an athlete advocacy platform;
- A petition to the ICF and IOC signed by over 7000 athletes;
- A letter signed by 55 Olympic medallists;
- Various news articles on the ICF website
Although the removal of K1 200 events will be a great disappointment, we are confident that our athletes and coaches will continue to work towards CRNZ’s vision of being the world’s best paddling nation. Lisa Carrington’s dominance in the K1 200m event has left an indelible legacy in that event. But our team has also achieved consistent success over the longer distances. Lisa is the current World Champion in the K1 500m, and Caitlin Ryan holds the world’s best time over the same distance. The pair have combined to win a World Championship in the K2. The NZ women’s team has won numerous World Cup and World Championship medals in the 500m crew events, and we have a strong group of up-and-coming men tracking towards strong performances in Tokyo and Paris.
Tom Ashley CRNZ CE
