Para-Canoe Worlds Begin in Poznan

Para-Canoe has already become a hit sport in the Paralympic world. Austrian fared quite well at the 2012 Para-Canoe worlds. © • canoephotography.com / Balint Vekassy (ICF)

"There are no boundaries in para-canoeing, just the person in front, and if that happens to be you, then it's you versus the clock.”

The 2012 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Para-Canoe World Championships kick off on Wednesday (16 May) in Poznan, Poland, where 100 athletes from 31 countries will compete at the Malta Regatta Course.

This is the fourth year a World Championships will be held for the sport ahead of its inaugural Paralympic Games at Rio 2016.

Canada, Brazil, Hungry, Italy and Great Britain are the top developers of the sport, as four of these countries each stood atop the podium twice at last year’s event in Szeged, Hungary.

Great Britain’s Pat Mahoney, the 2011 ICF para-canoeist of the year, will be looking to hold on to the V1 Men’s 200m (LTA) title he won last year.

"It's great to see that even more countries than last year have risen to the challenge of para-canoeing in 2012,” Mahoney told the ICF.

"There are no boundaries in para-canoeing, just the person in front, and if that happens to be you, then it's you versus the clock.”

Last year, Hungary’s Sandor Szabo and Katalin Kajdai took first place in the V1 men’s 200m and K1 women’s 200m (A), respectively, and both Marta Santos and Fernando Fernandes starred for Brazil, as they won the K1 women’s 200m (LTA) and men’s 200m (A).

Canada’s Christine Gauthier and Christine Selinger both took home gold medals in the K1 women’s 200m (LTA) and the V1 women’s 200m (LTA).

Italian paddler Stefano Chiozzotto won the V1 Men’s 200m (A) and teammate Sandra Truccolo was victorious in the V1 Women’s 200m (TA).

All will look to defend their titles over the next two days in Poznan.