This announcement reflects the final selection for the Olympic Hopes Team for 2026.
The statement can be viewed here
This article was published at 4pm on the 08/07/2026
Please see the statement here
2026 Canoe Sprint Junior & U23 World & European Championships Team Selection
This announcement reflects the final selection for the Junior & U23 Championship Teams for 2026 and
follows on from the crew boat process and athlete pool selection in April.
Please see the International Panel Statement that lists the sprint teams for World Cups 1 & 2
Please see the uploaded International Panel Statement
This is a scheduled update that provides further detail on the selection process from athlete pools for 2026 senior & Paracanoe teams as well as some important updates which includes the selection policy and registration process for the University Worlds and a reminder for all athletes to register for selection.
The latest IP Statement that can be found here
Paddle UK has now published its 2027 World Class Programme Qualification Policy, covering paracanoe, sprint and canoe slalom/kayak cross.
The policy has been written in conjunction with UK Sport as well as the British Elite Athletes Association.
It includes full details of the funding matrix to provide clarity on how performances will be assessed during the international season, and the process used to identify athletes across programmes who will qualify for the next 12 month period.
You can find the full policy HERE.
The 2026 GBR Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe selection policies were published on the Paddle UK Website
on 17th December. Within the Junior & U23 Selection policy, the International Panel in section 8.3.1
of the published selection policy committed to providing more detail on the crew boat process and
coaching decision methodology which is now available
The information is available on the Paddle UK website which can be found here.
Please find attached below an update from David Martyn, Chair of the Sprint Racing Committee.
The 2026 Canoe Slalom, Kayak Cross, Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe selection policies are now published by the respective International Panels and are the result of significant work behind the scenes.
The IPs would like to thank everyone who contributed to the development of the policies through the public consultation process in the autumn of 2025.
The IPs have also published accompanying statements which highlight a number of key items and shares the key themes from the consultation process.
Please take the time to read the policies and familiarise yourself with the processes to be used for the 2026 season.
Andy Maddocks
Head of Performance – Operations
(on behalf of the IPs)