After a successful World Cup 1, the Australian Canoe Slalom team are looking to add more medals to their tally at World Cup 2 in Pau, France this weekend.

NSWIS scholarship athlete Jessica Fox (main picture) kicked off the 2025 World Cup campaign in style last weekend winning gold in the women’s C1, with fellow Aussie, and NSWIS athlete Lucien Delfour (pictured below), winning his first World Cup medal since 2019, earning bronze in the men’s K1.

Lucien Delfour wins 2024 Canoe Slalom Australia Open men’s kayak final. Credit: JGRimages-3

The world’s best paddlers will again go head-to-head at World Cup 2 in Pau from Friday 13 June through to Sunday 15 June, as the countdown to ICF Slalom World Championships, which will be held in Penrith Australia in September, continues to heat up.

Among the Aussies in action, Kate Eckhardt is excited to be back competing in Europe and getting consistent racing under her belt.

“I haven’t raced on the Pau course since 2018 so it’s going to be awesome to get back on the start line,” she said. “Pau is a lovely small town. I really like it when the course is a part of the town.

In World Cup 1, Eckhardt finished 5th in the women’s K1 final and had a top 20 finish in the women’s C1 event.

With the 2025 ICF Slalom World Championships set to be the pinnacle of the season in Penrith, Eckhardt is looking forward to the chance to race in front of family and friends.

“It’ll be really exciting to have the world here for the second time ever,” she said. “It’s a once in a career opportunity. It kind of feels surreal at the moment but I’m sure it will sink in over the next few months.”

The World Cup 2 program will start with the men’s and women’s Kayak Heats and Finals on Friday, before the men’s and women’s Canoe Heats and Finals on Saturday, and wrap up with the Kayak Cross on Sunday.

The finals of the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup series will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports Australia and Kayo Sports.

AUSTRALIAN TEAM

Tim Anderson (NSWIS) (Men’s Kayak, Kayak Cross)

Kaylen Bassett (NSWIS) (Men’s Canoe)

Tristan Carter (VIC) (Men’s Canoe)

Jessica Fox (NSWIS) (Women’s Kayak, Canoe, Kayak Cross)

Noemie Fox (NSW) (Women’s Kayak, Canoe, Kayak Cross)

Lucien Delfour (NSWIS) (Men’s Kayak, Kayak Cross)

Kate Eckhardt (TAS) (Women’s Kayak, Canoe, Kayak Cross)

Georgie O’Callaghan (VIC) (Women’s Kayak Cross)

Ben Pope (WA) (Men’s Kayak, Kayak Cross)

Ben Ross (VIC) (Men’s Canoe)

2025 CANOE SLALOM INTERNATIONAL SEASON

World Cup 1 | La Seu, Spain | 7-9 June 2025

World Cup 2 | Pau, France |12-15 June

World Cup 3 | Prague, Czechia | 26-29 June 2025

World Cup 4 | Tacen, Slovenia | 28-31 August 2025

World Cup 5 | Augsburg, Germany | 4-7 September 2025

Story: Paddle Australia

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