The ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships are an international event in canoe racing, one of two top-tier Summer Olympic sport events organized by the International Canoe Federation (the other being the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships). They are usually held every non-Olympic year and have officially included paracanoe events since 2010; paracanoe-specific editions of this event (named ICF Paracanoe World Championships) are usually held in Summer Paralympic years. Prior to November 2008, canoe sprint was known as flatwater racing.

Explanation of events

Canoe sprint competitions are broken up into canoe (C), an open canoe with a single-blade paddle, or in kayaks (K), a closed canoe with a double-bladed paddle. Each canoe or kayak can hold one person (1), two people (2), or four people (4). For each of the specific canoes or kayaks, such as a K-1 (kayak single), the competition distances can be 200 m, 500 m, 1000 m, or 5000 m long. When a competition is listed as a C-2 500 m event as an example, it means two people are in a canoe competing at a 500 m distance. Paracanoe competitions are contested in either a va'a (V), an outrigger canoe (which includes a second pontoon) with a single-blade paddle, or in a kayak (as above). All international competitions are held over 200 metres in single-man boats, with three event classes in both types of vessel for men and women depending on the level of an athlete's impairment. The lower the classification number, the more severe the impairment is – for example, VL1 is a va'a competition for those with particularly severe impairments.

Editions

ICF Paracanoe World Championships (paracanoe events only)

Note

Events

(*) Indicates exhibition events (not counted towards total)

Editions Junior and U23

Source:

Lists of medalists

Medal tables

Canoe sprint (1938–2024)

This medal table does not include exhibition events. The historical medal count of the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships as of the 2024 championships is as follows:

Paracanoe (2010–2024)

This medal table does not include exhibition events. Events were occasionally excluded from their respective medal tables due to lack of participation, but are included in this overall table. The historical medal count of the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships as of the 2023 championships is as follows: https://www.canoeicf.com/paracanoe-world-championships/szeged-2024

Sources