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Paddle Australia confirms 2026 Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships team

Paddle Australia

Paddle Australia is pleased to announce the Australian team set to compete at the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Poznan, Poland from 26-30 August.

The team will take a wealth of international experience into the season’s pinnacle event, featuring Olympic, Paralympic and World Championship medallists alongside athletes continuing their rise on the international stage.

Following a strong World Cup campaign earlier this year, highlighted by multiple podium performances, Australia’s athletes will now turn their attention to the World Championships as they continue building momentum on the road to LA2028.

The team will be headlined by rising star and New south Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Natalia Drobot, who won silver in the Women’s K1 500 at last year’s World Championships and won gold in the same event earlier in the year at the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged, Hungary. The 21 year old has her eyes firmly set on qualifying for her Olympic Games for LA28.

The Aussie squad will be a true family affair, with twin sisters Alyssa and Claudia Bailey as well as Olympic medalist brothers Jean and Pierre van der Westhuyzen, ready to line up in the green and gold.

With six World Cup medals already to his name this season, two-time Olympic medalist Tom Green will also be one to watch for the Australian team.

Returning to the World Championships for the first time since the Paris Olympic & Paralympic Games will be four time Paralympic gold medalist Curtis McGrath, and Olympic silver medalists Noah Havard and Riley Fitzsimmons (NSWIS).

Fresh from two World Cup gold medals already this season, Paracanoe sensation Ben Sainsbury will be looking to better his silver from 2025 World Championships and finish his season on top of the podium.

In the women’s paracanoe Emily Paix and Susanna Wills are set to line up in their first World Championships.

Paddle Australia High Performance Director Brendan Purcell said the team had shown encouraging signs throughout the World Cup season and is excited by the opportunity ahead.

“We’re pleased to confirm our Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe teams for the World Championships and reward athletes who have put together strong performances throughout the international season,” Purcell said.

“The World Cups gave us a valuable opportunity to test ourselves against the world’s best and we’ve seen promising progress across a number of crews and events.

“This group continues to build depth and experience, and we’re looking forward to seeing athletes transfer those learnings onto the World Championship stage.

“The World Championships are always one of the most competitive events on the calendar and an important step in the journey towards LA2028. We know this team will wear the green and gold with pride.”

There will be extra riding on these World Championships, with one and a half times more ranking points on offer than World Cups.

The Olympic qualification ranking system for sprint kayak (canoe sprint) for the LA 2028 Games runs from April 2026 to December 2027, and athletes will accumulate points based on their best eight results across designated World Championships, World Cups, and Continental Championships.

Paddle Australia congratulates all selected athletes and wish them the best as they prepare to race for Australia in Poznan.

AUSTRALIAN TEAM

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