Key highlights from the 2025 Paracanoe World Championships

Excitement was at an all-time high as the world’s elite gathered in Milan, Italy, for the ultimate paracanoe showdown from August 20th to 24th. More than 800 athletes from nearly 70 nations were in action as the famous Idroscalo Regatta Course hosted the flagship event for the third time. Returning to Milan for the first time in ten years, the World Championships is the biggest event on the 2025 canoe sprint and paracanoe calendar and one that proved unmissable.

Hungary once again affirmed its dominance in the world of canoe and kayak, claiming the overall title with an impressive total of fifteen medals. The Hungarian team topped the medal table with seven golds, three silvers, and five bronze - demonstrating depth, consistency, and elite-level performance across multiple disciplines. The team of Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) obtained thirteen medals, while Great Britain rounded out the podium in third. Ukraine also delivered a strong showing, coming away with four gold and one silver medal. Among the standout performances of the week were Ukraine’s Liudmyla Luzan, who was in electric form, and Poland’s Anna Pulawska.  

The dominant force in the Canoe Sprint event has remained Hungary for some time now, winning a total of 228 world titles in the discipline, which is nearly 100 more than the next-highest nation, Germany, which has achieved 141. Hungary has also won the most medals in Canoe Sprint at the Olympic level, with 86 wins, which made them an undeniable favourite for this year’s World Championships.

Balint Kopasz won the K1 1000 at Tokyo 2020 and added a bronze in the event at Paris 2024, which was his third Olympic Games. However, he did one better this time, overcoming Australia’s Thomas Green to seal the 1000m title.  Levente Kurucz and Bence Nadas emerged victorious from the men’s Kayak double 500m final, while Zsoka Csikos fought back to beat Levente Buck to the women’s K1 1000m title. The Hungarians were also triumphant in the canoe team events, winning both the C4 titles thanks to Agnes Anna Kiss, Bianka Nagy, Reka Opavszky and Zsofia Katalin Csorba in the women’s and Kristof Kollar, Istvan David Juhasz, Jonatan Daniel Hajdu and Daniel Fejes in the men’s.

Hungary emerged victorious in the women's C4 500m final

Great Britain entered this year’s World Championships with a 22-strong canoe sprint and paracanoe team, comprising eight Paralympic medallists, including Charlotte Henshaw MBE, who holds the World, Paralympic and European Kl2 titles and Hope Gordon, Paralympic silver medallist and European VL3 Champion.

Henshaw’s record in Paralympic competition dates back to the 2008 Paralympics, where she competed in para-swimming. However, in 2017, she switched the goggles to paddles, announcing her retirement from swimming and entering the world of paracanoe.  At the most recent Games in Paris, she claimed two sensational gold medals in the KL2 and VL3 events and was likely favourite for the same events here in Milan. Henshaw lived up to expectations, clocking a winning time of 48.07 in the Women’s KL2, which is a full second faster than her previous best in Paris last year.

A further three world best times were set in Milan, all made by British paddlers. Jack Eyers set 47.10 in the men’s VL3, and Laura Sugar clocked a rapid 45.94 in the women’s KL3. Triumphing alongside their British teammates were David Phillipson in the men’s KL2 and Hope Gordon in the women’s VL3. Overall, the British team gave an impressive, incredibly fast and exciting performance which only seems to grow in strength with every major event. It will be interesting to see how they can continue building on these fast times and what they might be able to produce when the time comes at the next Paralympic Games in LA.

Charlotte Henshaw celebrates another world title

While Hungary took home the most Gold medals, Ukraine was not far behind with four golds - all won by Liudmyla Luzan, rightly named queen of Kayak after her performance over the weekend. The Ukrainian was unbeatable in Milan, capturing an impressive four world titles. Claiming victory in the women’s C200m will have given Luzan a huge boost of confidence, overcoming a highly competitive field which included Olympic Gold medallist Katie Vincent of Canada, defending 2023 world champion  Yarisleidis Cirilo Duboys of Cuba and red-hot Spaniard Viktoriia Yarchevska. Luzan held her form to win in 46.09 as Cirilo Duboys claimed silver in 46.27 and AIN paddler Ekaterina Shliapnikova edged out Vincent by 0.09 to take bronze.  “I did everything I could to achieve this victory, and although it wasn't an easy start, I tried my best to secure it, and I am incredibly happy,” Luzan stated. This victory complements her golds in the women’s C1 500m and in the women’s canoe double over both the 200m and 500m distances alongside teammate Iryna Fedoriv.

Liudmyla Luzan and Iryna Fedori celebrate after winning the C2 Double event

Milan also proved to be a successful event for some other extraordinary athletes. A stand-alone highlight was Georgia’s Serhii Yemelianov's return to the top of the world after a three-year hiatus from competition. One of the most successful Para-canoeists of all time, Yemelianov previously won two Paralympic gold medals and multiple European and World Championships titles for Ukraine. Now competing for Georgia, he has begun a new chapter of success. Securing gold last week marked his fifth world title in four years with a powerful performance in the men’s KL3. Yemelianov, who last competed at the World Championships in 2021 and only returned to competition at the start of this year, claimed gold in 40.31. There was a battle for the other two medals as Brazil’s Miqueias Elias Rodrigues earned silver in 41.29 and Australia’s Dylan Littlehales secured bronze in 41.33. “The last three years have been hard to change my National Federation, but I came prepared to show my results here,” said Yemelianov. 

Geogia's Serhil Yemelianov marked his return with victory

Poland also had a standout performance from Anna Pulawska, a two-time Olympic medallist. At her debut in Tokyo, she claimed K2 500 silver and K4 500 bronze, being one of only four Polish Canoe Sprint athletes to win two medals at a single Games, along with Karolina Naja, Marek Doperiala and Marek Lbek. Winning Poland’s first medal of the competition, she powered through the final of the women’s kayak single 500m to take the win before teaming up with Martyna Klatt to win the women’s kayak double 500m. It caps a phenomenal year for Pulawska as she sets her sights on Los Angeles 2028 success.

Anna Puławska won Poland’s first medal at the event in Milan

Overall, it was an exhilarating week of Paracanoe and Kayak competition, marked by exceptional athleticism and inspiring performances. As expected, Hungary reaffirmed their dominance by finishing at the top of the medal table, showcasing its consistency and talent. However, strong showings from Great Britain, Poland and Ukraine brought a fresh wave of excitement to the sport.