Paddle UK has today announced that Ekaitz Saies will lead the paracanoe and canoe sprint teams into the Los Angeles 2028 Games after being appointed as performance director.
Ekaitz has been working with Paddle UK on an interim basis since January, initially supporting the sprint programme, before moving into an interim head coach role for both paracanoe and sprint.
On his appointment, he said: “I’m truly honoured to be appointed performance director for the paracanoe and canoe sprint programmes. I will give my absolute best to support this team in reaching new heights.
“We have bold aspirations, and while meaningful change won’t happen overnight, our vision is clear and our purpose shared.
“There is much work ahead, but we have a unique opportunity to build something special. Together, we can inspire, and make our community proud.”
For almost 10 years, Ekaitz was performance director at the Spanish Canoe Federation, overseeing unprecedented success which included four medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and topping the World Championships medal table in 2022.
As well as winning international medals as an athlete, Ekaitz also brings a wealth of experience in coaching, with a PhD in Sport Performance Psychology.
Keir Worth, director of paddlesport, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ekaitz as our performance director for the paracanoe and canoe sprint programmes.
“His outstanding knowledge, passion for paddlesport and vision for creating environments for canoe sprint and paracanoe to flourish in Great Britain is clear.
“Ekaitz has been with us on an interim basis since January and has already had an incredibly positive impact across the programmes. We are looking forward to building on this momentum as we progress into the LA cycle and beyond.”