Australia’s emerging slalom stars ready for Junior & U23 World Championships in Poland

Australia’s next generation of canoe slalom talent are preparing to don the green and gold at the 2026 ICF Junior & U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships, to be held in Krakow, Poland from 30 June to 5 July.

The championships represent the pinnacle event for emerging canoe slalom athletes, with a talented Australian squad selected across the Junior and U23 divisions following strong performances at home and abroad.

The team features several athletes with valuable senior international experience, including Ben Ross, Georgie O’Callaghan, Sarah Crosbee and Codie Davidson (New South Wales Institute of Sport, NSWIS), who all represented Australia at last year’s Senior Canoe Slalom World Championships in Penrith. Their experience is expected to provide an important foundation as the team competes against the world’s best young paddlers.

For U23 athletes Merle Long (NSWIS) and Ada Mackie (NSWIS), the event also serves as an important stepping stone ahead of the 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Oklahoma later this July.

The Australian team will contest canoe (C1), kayak (K1) and kayak cross events, with several athletes selected across multiple disciplines.

2026 Paddle Australia U23 Canoe Slalom World Championship Team

U23 Women:

• Georgie O’Callaghan – Canoe, Kayak and Kayak Cross
• Ada Mackie – Canoe, Kayak and Kayak Cross (NSWIS)
• Codie Davidson – Canoe and Kayak Cross (NSWIS)
• Sarah Crosbee – Kayak

U23 Men:

• Dominic Curtin – Canoe and Kayak Cross (NSWIS)
• Ben Ross – Canoe
• Archie Nelson – Canoe
• Sebastian Montalto – Kayak
• Merle Long – Kayak and Kayak Cross (NSWIS)
• Mark Crosbee – Kayak and Kayak Cross

2026 Paddle Australia Junior Canoe Slalom World Championship Team

Junior Women:

• Lucy Casserley – Kayak and Kayak Cross
• Lara Wylie – Kayak and Kayak Cross
• Abigail Watson – Kayak and Kayak Cross

Junior Men:

• Sevan Billaut – Canoe, Kayak and Kayak Cross
• Fergus Page-Brown – Canoe and Kayak
• Luca Thavarasah – Kayak and Kayak Cross
• Alex Redlich – Canoe

Click here for more details and results for the 2026 ICF Junior & U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships.

Live racing will be livestreamed on the Planet Canoe YouTube Channel here.