The Canoeing World Championships are the premier international competition for flatwater kayak and canoe racing, organized by the International Canoe Federation (ICF). The first men's event took place in 1938, while the women's event began in 1954. Since then, the championships have become a cornerstone of the global rowing calendar, determining the strongest athletes and allocating Olympic licences.
Find more details on the official ICF website.
2027 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships
The 2027 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships will be held in Szeged, Hungary. The tournament will feature canoe sprint events as well as paracanoe competitions.
Szeged regularly hosts major international canoeing events. The 2027 World Championships will be an important event for athletes preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The exact dates of the 2027 World Championships have not yet been announced. The full schedule, list of participants and final competition programme will be confirmed at a later date.
The programme will include various kayak and canoe events, as well as paracanoe competitions. The exact list of distances will be published closer to the start of the tournament.
Participants and favourites
The championship will feature some of the world's strongest athletes representing leading national teams.
Among the traditional leaders in the sport are:
- Hungary — one of the most successful countries in World Championship history, particularly strong in kayak and canoe events;
- Germany — regularly competes for medals in both men's and women's events;
- Australia — a strong national team in sprint disciplines;
- China — one of the main medal contenders in women's and team events;
- New Zealand — traditionally successful in kayak sprint events.
The final list of participants and the main favourites for the 2027 World Championships will become known closer to the start of the competition.
History of the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The first Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in 1938 in Vaxholm, Sweden. Initially, the competitions were held mainly for men, while women's events were added to the programme in 1954.
The Canoe Sprint World Championships are held regularly. In Olympic years, the programme may differ from the standard format and include events that are not part of the Olympic Games.
Since 2010, paracanoe has also been part of the World Championships structure and has become an important part of international canoeing competitions.
In recent decades, Hungary has been particularly successful. The country is one of the most decorated national teams in World Championship history.
World Championship winners over the past three years
| Year | Host country | Leading national team |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Poland | Hungary |
| 2025 | Italy | Hungary |
| 2024 | Uzbekistan | Hungary |
At the 2026 World Championships in Poznań, Hungary topped the medal table with 5 gold, 8 silver and 1 bronze medal. Germany finished second with 5 gold, 4 silver and 9 bronze medals.
In 2025, Hungary also topped the medal standings in Milan, winning 6 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals.
In 2024, the World Championships in Samarkand featured a reduced programme focused mainly on non-Olympic events. Hungary was again among the most successful national teams at the tournament.
2028 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
After the 2027 World Championships, the next tournament will take place in 2028. The host city, exact dates and final competition programme have not yet been determined.
As 2028 is an Olympic year, the World Championship programme will depend on the Olympic calendar and may focus on events that are not included in the Olympic Games.
The exact dates, host venue and list of participants will be announced at a later date.
Follow the latest dates of water sports tournaments and other events in our Sports events calendar.
