July was a busy month for our High Performance and Australian teams, and it was great to see so many athletes back competing on the world stage.
On behalf of Paddle Australia and the wider Canoe Slalom community I’d like to congratulate Mark Crosbee who became the Junior C1 World Champion this month. Mark is a remarkable young athlete, and it was a very special win for not only himself, but his family, friends and the Canoe Slalom team.
Our Senior Canoe Slalom and Canoe Sprint teams will also have their time to shine with the Slalom team currently competing at the World Championships in Augsburg, Germany, and the Canoe Sprint and Para Canoe World Championships in Halifax, Canada next week. I’d like to wish our athletes, coaches and support staff all the very best.
Special mention must also go to the Australian Canoe Freestyle team who wore the green and gold with pride at the 2022 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships in Nottingham, and congratulations to Masters competitor Richard Cass who won bronze.
Back at home, it was fantastic to be part of celebrations to launch the Green and Gold Runway to Brisbane 2032 this month. Many Australians remember the buzz that was created when the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games arrived in Australia. Not only will another home Games provide a great opportunity to build our pathways programs for athletes, coaches, staff, officials and volunteers, but it will also see a strong injection into sporting facilities and infrastructure.
Ahead of Brisbane 2032, Australian sport has taken an enormous step in its bid to become a world-leader in coach development, with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) naming 31 coaches as part of a flagship national apprenticeship program. I’d like to congratulate Olympian Bernadette Wallace who was named among the 31 developing coaches who will benefit from paid two-year coaching apprenticeships as part of the inaugural National Generation 2032 Coach Program. I look forward to seeing what she can achieve as a coach.
Until next month, and as always, stay safe when exploring our beautiful waterways!
Phil Jones
Paddle Australia CEO
