On the morning of day one at the ICF World Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe Championship in Milan, the new look British team is ready to race.
New performance director Elaitz Saies has been in post for just two weeks but his impact on both programmes since he joined the organisation in the spring is clear.
With a background of success as an athlete, coach, and technical director, the Spaniard knows there have been challenges in the past but the Basque-man is relishing the opportunity to lead the British team to LA.
The paracanoe team has a strong track record of delivering on the biggest stage, combined with the canoe sprint team, who faced heartbreak last year having failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
But following a reset in the spring, with a new philosophy, Saies is excited about the championships.
He said: “This season, our ambition has been twofold: to build a winning mindset and belief strong enough to carry us all the way to Los Angeles, and to design the training and performance plan that will take us there.
“It is an inspiring journey — on one side, we have the most successful paracanoe team in history, and on the other, a sprint team determined to rise after missing qualification for Paris 2024. Our mission is clear: to drive our paracanoe team to even greater heights, whilst forging a sprint team that will stand proudly on the world stage in Los Angeles.”
This year, for the first time, the athletes have voted for and nominated team captains, as recognition for their commitment to the programme’s values.
Jonathan Young and Deborah Kerr are the inaugural nominees with a mission to bring together the two programmes to share learnings, experiences, and successes, together.
The paracanoe team in Milan is rich with Paralympic, world and European medallists and have enjoyed much success this season so far.
Jeanette Chippington has raced every year since the programme began, and newcomer Tom Price coming into the fold to compete in his first international event, the team has a mix of experience, but an unwavering determination to succeed.
Young said:
“What an exciting team to be a part of heading to the Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Milan. In our flatwater team we have athletes competing at their first World Champs alongside Paralympic Champions.
“But don’t be fooled into thinking this is a victory lap or a passing of the baton. This is a group of hungry athletes where the diligence of our Games Champions is matched by those of us who still dream of those occasions.
“I intend on these championships to be an honest celebration of who this team is and how we act and I have no doubt that we’ll be able to look back on our performances and use them as a launchpad to LA and beyond.”
In the canoe sprint team, no one felt the disappointment of Paris more than the athletes who put their heart and soul into their training, but still fell devastatingly short of qualifying.
But with a new coach and new performance director, co-captain Debs Kerr is optimistic about the next few years.
She said: “Our goals for the world championships are more holistic. We would obviously love to make A finals, especially in the K4. We had a really good time trial on Friday, our last session of the season and now we just need to make sure we execute our races well on the day and stay on top of the one percenters across the competition.
“There have been changes in the coaching team, everything is still new, but we’re really enjoying working with Hannah and Anton. The addition of Ekaitz has been really special this year. He knows the sports inside and out, and he lives and breathes it. In such a short space of time he knows what our goals are, how we work and has built really good relationships with everyone.
“Last year was really tough, we watched the Games in Paris and we know what we were missing out on. We’re capable of getting to the next Games, and that belief comes from not only the athletes but staff too and that’s really important.
“We’ve got a few younger members on the team so that time is behind us and we’re already looking forward to a full season with Ekaitz at the helm. LA is an achievable goal and we’re looking forward to getting the first world championships of the cycle under our belts and going towards what we ultimately want, which is Olympic qualification, but I think we’re capable of something more as well.”
Ekaitz said: “We don’t have a lot of time to turn this around, we know that but there is much talent and belief in the team which we need to unlock and we are starting to see some really positive changes in the daily training environment and I want to see this being converted to success on the water.
“Of course results are important, we all know that, but success for us at this world championship will be measured on our processes, race mentality as well as the racing itself.
“Our new philosophy is to embrace the pressure and race bravely. The work has been done, and our athletes are ready to give their very best this week.
“Personally, I am very excited going forward because even among our most successful athletes, I see enormous potential still to be realised.”
The racing will be broadcast live on the planet canoe YouTube channel – click here to find out more