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Paddle Australia Confirms 2026 Canoe Sprint World Cup Squad

Paddle Australia

Paddle Australia is thrilled to announce the 16-strong Australian team that will battle against the world’s top sprinters across the 2026 Canoe Sprint World Cup season.

With eight men and eight women selected, the squad brings together a vast amount of Olympic and World Championship medalists as well as three debutants.

Following selection from the 2026 Paddle Australia Canoe Sprint Grand Prix II event in February and the completion of the domestic sprint season, the team will head overseas to kick off their international campaign with back-to-back weekends of World Cup racing.

The opening Sprint World Cup event will take place from 8-10 May in Szeged, Hungary before the Paracanoe team joins them in Brandenburg, Germany from 14-17 May for the second World Cup event.

The team will compete in the final World Cup event in Montreal, Canada from 9-12 July.

The World Cups will mark the start of the new Olympic Qualification Ranking System period (May 2026-December 2027) for Australian athletes as they race towards LA2028. With 70% of all available quota places distributed in the next 18-month period and the remaining 30% at the 2028 Continental Championships, the runway for LA2028 is set to challenge and test the athletes as they prepare to go for gold on the biggest stage.

PA National Performance Director Brendan Purcell said: “We’re pleased to confirm our Canoe Sprint squad who will make an impact on the world stage this World Cup season.

“With four medals won at last year’s World Cup events, we’re confident that this team has the opportunity for more podiums across the K1, K2 and K4 events.

“We’ve got an accomplished team that we know will make us proud in the green and gold, and look forward to seeing our debutants, Emily McMullen, Luke Egger and Olivia Clues, impress us further at an international level,” Purcell said.

“On behalf of Paddle Australia, we congratulate all athletes on their World Cup selection and wish them luck as they paddle towards LA2028.”

The 2026 Paracanoe team will be announced in the coming weeks.

2026 Paddle Australia Canoe Sprint Senior Squad

Men

Jackson Collins (QLD)

Luke Egger (WA)

Riley Fitzsimmons (NSWIS/pictured above)

Tom Green (QLD)

Noah Havard (QLD)

Maguire Reid (SA)

Jean Van der Westhuyzen (QLD)

Pierre Van der Westhuyzen (QLD)