2014 European para-canoe Championships to break records.

A record number of athletes are competing from over 20 European countries at the 2014 European para-canoe Championships in Brandenburg, Germany. 08 Jul 2014
Imagen
Tom Kierey

Germany's Tom Kierey celebrates winning the K1 men’s 200m LTA world title.

ⒸICF
By International Canoe Federation

Para-canoeing continues to evolve rapidly with new faces regularly out performing their more experienced counterparts

The 2014 European para-canoe Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, are set to break records with 93 athletes competing from the 10-13 July.

 

With athletes coming from over 20 European countries, it is now the third European Championships in a row to witness an increase in para-canoe participants.

 

And with all races covered by TV, Sunday’s (13 July) finals represent another huge step forward for the discipline as it heads towards its debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

 

Top Contenders

 

Germany's Tom Kierey is arguably the fastest para-canoeist on the planet following his victory in the K1 Men 200m LTA at the 2013 ICF para-canoe World Championships. He will be looking to replicate his gold medal from Duisburg, Germany, last year in front of another vibrant home crowd.

 

The young-star finished second in his first European championships in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal in 2013, being edged out by Romania's Julian Serban.

 

Para-canoeing continues to evolve rapidly with new faces regularly out performing their more experienced counterparts; plus many competitors continue to experiment and switch events, eager to optimise the possibility of medalling at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

 

Austria´s Markus Swoboda is one such athlete. The 24-year old multiple-World Champion won gold in both the K1 and V1 in Szeged, Hungary, at the 2013 ICF para-canoe World Cup, it was the first time he had competed in the V1 at international level.

 

Great Britain was the most successful team at last year´s championships in Portugal, but will be pushed hard by teams from Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Germany for podium spots this time around.

 

Tough Course

 

The regatta course in Brandenburg frequently suffers from gusts of wind and can sometimes be rough, posing and extra challenge for the world-class line up.

The para-canoe championships run in tandem with the European senior canoe sprint championships and are being contested for the third time.

There are three distinct classifications based on the varying degree of mobility of the competitors (LTA, T, A), with all races contested over 200 meters.

 

For more information, or to keep up to date with the results, visit the official website of the 2014 European para-canoe Championships.