Five athletes selected to the 2022 Australian Canoe Wildwater Teams with World Championships on the horizon

Paddle Australia (PA) is pleased to announce the five athletes who have been selected to the Senior, U23 and Junior 2022 Australian Canoe Wildwater Teams.

Young talents David Burdett and Harry Langley have been selected to both the U23 and Senior teams, with veteran Richard McMinn rounding up the three-strong World Championships Team that will compete at the 2022 ICF Wildwater Canoeing World Championships in Treignac, France from 3-6 June. 

A former high jumper, 22-year-old Western Australian Harry Langley said he has dreamt of participating in a global sporting event since he was a kid.

“I used to dream about going to the Olympics, but ever since I switched to kayaking a couple of years ago, my dream straight off the bat from there was to make it to the highest level of the sport,” Langley said.

“The highest level you can get to in Canoe Wildwater is the World Championships, so the idea that this year I am going to be mixing with the best in the world feels pretty crazy to me at the moment.

“A lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears have gone into this, so I am stoked and super excited for this journey. Of course hoping for a good result and to make Australia proud.

“This is proof that if you work hard enough, dreams can become reality,” he said.

Ella Lawson and Huxley Luntungan were selected to the Australian Junior Team. 

“On behalf of Paddle Australia, I’d like to congratulate all the athletes who have been selected to their respective Australian Canoe Wildwater Teams,” said PA Sport Operations Manager, Lucy Warhurst.

“After working so hard in training for the past two years, our athletes are keen for opportunities to compete internationally, measure their level of performance against the best in the sport and gain some valuable experience on the world stage. We look forward to seeing what these Australian Teams can achieve in the months and year ahead.

“The Senior team’s focus is definitely on the World Championships in France, and the U23 and Junior National Teams will have valuable development opportunities this year in preparation for the ICF Junior/U23 World Championships in 2023. We’re looking forward to an exciting season ahead,” she said.

After the cancellation of the 2022 PA Canoe Wildwater Championships scheduled to be held in Penrith in February, all selections were made by the PA Selection Panel in line with PA Selection Criteria Supplement (SCS) and in accordance with the PA Selection Procedures Policy.

There are some athletes who have been granted special consideration by the selection panel with extra time to meet the performance standards as set out in the Selection Criteria Supplement and may be a late inclusion to the Senior Team.

2022 Senior World Championship Team

  • David Burdett
  • Richard McMinn
  • Harry Langley

2022 U23 Team

  • David Burdett 
  • Harry Langley

2022 Junior Team

  • Ella Lawson 
  • Huxley Luntungan
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