Twelve New Zealand paddlers have earned selection to the national team heading to the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Poznan, Poland, with competition running across five days from 26 to 30 August. The squad has been drawn from clubs the length of the country, reflecting how widely the talent base extends through New Zealand's sprint paddling community.
Hawkes Bay Kayak Racing Club sends Aimee Fisher and Hamish Legarth, while Finn Murphy, Grant Clancy, and Greer Morley will compete under the banner of North Shore Canoe Club. Jacqueline Kennedy and Quaid Thompson represent Poverty Bay Kayak Club, and James Munro and Lucy Matehaere carry the colours of Otago Kayak Racing Club. Olivia Brett and Scott Martlew line up for Arawa Canoe Club, with Kurtis Imrie rounding out the twelve as the representative of Mana Kayak Club.
The pathway to world championships selection is neither short nor straightforward. Each of these athletes has demonstrated the sustained consistency that New Zealand's sprint paddling programme demands, and behind every one of them stands a network of coaches, family members, and club communities whose contribution has been equally enduring.
Poznan's Olympic rowing venue is regarded as one of Europe's finest sprint racing facilities, and it will draw the world's best competitors when the championships get under way next August. For several members of this squad, the stakes extend beyond personal performance. Results at world level feed directly into Olympic qualification cycles, meaning the racing in Poland carries consequences that reach well beyond the event itself.
With selection confirmed, attention at clubs across New Zealand turns firmly to preparation. The months ahead will be devoted to refining technique, building the physical foundation that championship-level racing demands, and developing the tactical sharpness needed when competition pressure peaks on Polish waters next August.
