Oklahoma City selected to host 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships

The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has selected Oklahoma City’s RIVERSPORT Rapids Whitewater center as the site for the 2026 Canoe Slalom World Championships.

It will be the first time in more than a decade the championships will be held in North America.

The RIVERSPORT facility is a training site for both rowing and canoe/kayak. It has hosted Olympic Trials and international competitions in both sports. It also offers recreational programs for adults, youth, and senior athletes.

RIVERSPORT executive director Mike Knopp was pleased with the announcement.

“Oklahoma City invested in a world-class whitewater rapids center and now, we’re seeing recognition from around the world. It’s a great moment for our city and state.....Aside from the Olympic Games, this is the most significant event in any given year for the sport.”

RIVERSPORT hosted the 2021 ICF Canoe Sprint Super Cup which was a resounding success.

The willingness to step up and host the 2022 ICF Stand-Up Paddle and the Canoe Sprint Super Cups, two events that had to be moved due to the conflict in Ukraine, also may have helped secure the championships.

The weeklong event in Oklahoma City is expected to attract nearly 400 athletes from more than 60 countries.

“Oklahoma City is playing a significant role in bringing international paddle sports attention to the U.S.,” said Rok Sribar, General Manager of High-Performance programs for the American Canoe Association. “We are also pleased to announce that Sarasota, Florida, has also been awarded international competitions.”

“This is an unprecedented number of events to be awarded to North America. We believe it signals a significant opportunity for the U.S. to benefit from the growth in competitive paddle sports that other countries around the globe have already experienced,” said Sribar.

The United States currently has more than 24 million canoe and kayak enthusiasts, the majority of whom are involved in the recreational side of the sport.

One of the goals in having such a facility to host international championships is to develop the next generation of competitive athletes in various disciplines. It will also serve as a training site and development model for the Olympic Games for LA28.

“Our goal is to be a model for the development of youth participation in competitive disciplines such as whitewater slalom, extreme slalom and flatwater sprint heading into the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028,” Knopp said. “We’re investing in world-class coaching and making this is an inclusive initiative at a level never seen before in either canoe/kayak or rowing.”