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More than 600 athletes from over 30 European countries will be competing in Portugal this week at the 2023 ECA Paracanoe and Junior/U23 Canoe Sprint European Championships. This time paracanoeing will join the future stars of canoe sprint, as seniors competed at the European Games and there was unfortunately no possibility for usual combined paracanoeing and senior canoe sprint European Championships.

 

Thirteen nations sent their paracanoeists to Portugal to compete for the European Champion titles, majority of them their biggest stars and medallists of Paralympic Games, World and European Championships. There will be some stars missing, mostly from Great Britain, where they decided their A team will prepare for upcoming World Championships. Among the main favourites in paracanoeing competition will be Hungarian, Ukrainina, German, Spanish athletes, alongside paddlers from Italy and France, as well as home nation Portugal.

 

Some of the already established names will be competing at Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint European Championships, including Danes Ramus Knudsen and Thorbjorn Rask, in French team we can find an excellent Wildwater paddler Luca Barone, medallists of Senior Wildwater Canoeing Championships, and many more.

 

The 2023 ECA Paracanoeing and Junior/U23 Canoe Sprint European Championships will kick off on Wednesday with an opening ceremony, and the first competition day is scheduled for Thursday when 1000 and 500 metres heats are on the programme. On Friday, the semifinals in 500 and 1000 metres events will be held, as well as paracanoeing heats and the 200 metres heats. The first sets of medals will be awarded on Saturday in 1000 metres heats as well as in some paracanoeing events. Saturday will also bring the 200 metres semifinals. On Sunday, the European Championships will conclude with 200 and 500 metres finals and paracanoeing medal events.

 

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Portugal.