ICF president advocates for biennial ocean racing world championship schedule

ICF President's Vision for Ocean Racing

Thomas Konietzko, president of the International Canoe Federation (ICF), expressed his view that the Ocean Racing World Championships would benefit from reverting to a biennial schedule. The ICF initially established the ocean racing world championship in 2013, maintaining a two-year interval for the competition until 2021. Subsequently, the organization transitioned this premier event to an annual format, bringing it into line with its other paddling disciplines.

During an appearance on The Paddler’s Pod, Konietzko concurred with the idea that a biennial timeline is more appropriate for this particular championship. Konietzko stated, "As a service provider, we are obligated to heed the voices of our communities." He further elaborated on his personal stance: "From my perspective, I wholeheartedly support holding the world championships every two years across all our disciplines. This allows us to organize continental championships in the intervening years." "This approach," he continued, "is crucial for the development of our sport. I believe the optimal future structure involves alternating between continental championships one year and world championships the next."

Nevertheless, any alteration to the ICF World Championships calendar is unlikely to occur for at least four years, as the next three editions are already scheduled. The upcoming year's event is set to take place in Villajoyosa, Spain, replacing the well-known EuroChallenge. In 2027, the championship will revisit Tahiti, mirroring its 2015 staging. Subsequently, the 2028 World Championships are planned for Cherbourg, located in northern France on the English Channel.

The prospect of these proposed changes being adopted by the ICF's decision-making bodies is uncertain. However, Konietzko recognized ocean racing's distinctiveness compared to Olympic disciplines like canoe sprint and canoe slalom, asserting it merits unique...

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