# ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships are an international event in canoe racing, one of two top-tier Summer Olympic sport events organized by the International Canoe Federation (the other being the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships). They are usually held every non-Olympic year and have officially included paracanoe events since 2010; paracanoe-specific editions of this event (named ICF Paracanoe World Championships) are usually held in Summer Paralympic years.
Prior to November 2008, canoe sprint was known as flatwater racing.

## Explanation of events

Canoe sprint competitions are broken up into canoe (C), an open canoe with a single-blade paddle, or in kayaks (K), a closed canoe with a double-bladed paddle. Each canoe or kayak can hold one person (1), two people (2), or four people (4). For each of the specific canoes or kayaks, such as a K-1 (kayak single), the competition distances can be 200 metres (660 ft), 500 metres (1,600 ft), 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), or 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) long. When a competition is listed as a C-2 500 m event as an example, it means two people are in a canoe competing at a 500 metres (1,600 ft) distance.
Paracanoe competitions are contested in either a va'a (V), an outrigger canoe (which includes a second pontoon) with a single-blade paddle, or in a kayak (as above). All international competitions are held over 200 metres in single-man boats, with three event classes in both types of vessel for men and women depending on the level of an athlete's impairment. The lower the classification number, the more severe the impairment is – for example, VL1 is a va'a competition for those with particularly severe impairments.

## Editions

ICF Paracanoe World Championships (paracanoe events only)
* Events exclude exhibition events.
| Edition | Year | Host City | Host Country | Events |
| 1 | 1938 | Vaxholm | Sweden | 12 |
| 2 | 1948 | London | Great Britain | 5 |
| 3 | 1950 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 15 |
| 4 | 1954 | Mâcon | France | 15 |
| 5 | 1958 | Prague | Czechoslovakia | 15 |
| 6 | 1963 | Jajce | Yugoslavia | 16 |
| 7 | 1966 | East Berlin | East Germany | 16 |
| 8 | 1970 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 16 |
| 9 | 1971 | Belgrade | Yugoslavia | 18 |
| 10 | 1973 | Tampere | Finland | 18 |
| 11 | 1974 | Mexico City | Mexico | 18 |
| 12 | 1975 | Belgrade | Yugoslavia | 18 |
| 13 | 1977 | Sofia | Bulgaria | 18 |
| 14 | 1978 | Belgrade | Yugoslavia | 18 |
| 15 | 1979 | Duisburg | West Germany | 18 |
| 16 | 1981 | Nottingham | Great Britain | 18 |
| 17 | 1982 | Belgrade | Yugoslavia | 18 |
| 18 | 1983 | Tampere | Finland | 18 |
| 19 | 1985 | Mechelen | Belgium | 18 |
| 20 | 1986 | Montréal | Canada | 18 |
| 21 | 1987 | Duisburg | West Germany | 18 |
| 22 | 1989 | Plovdiv | Bulgaria | 22 |
| 23 | 1990 | Poznań | Poland | 22 |
| 24 | 1991 | Paris | France | 22 |
| 25 | 1993 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 22 |
| 26 | 1994 | Mexico City | Mexico | 24 |
| 27 | 1995 | Duisburg | Germany | 24 |
| 28 | 1997 | Dartmouth | Canada | 26 |
| 29 | 1998 | Szeged | Hungary | 26 |
| 30 | 1999 | Milan | Italy | 26 |
| 31 | 2001 | Poznań | Poland | 27 |
| 32 | 2002 | Seville | Spain | 27 |
| 33 | 2003 | Gainesville | United States | 27 |
| 34 | 2005 | Zagreb | Croatia | 27 |
| 35 | 2006 | Szeged | Hungary | 27 |
| 36 | 2007 | Duisburg | Germany | 27 |
| 37 | 2009 | Dartmouth | Canada | 27 |
| 38 | 2010 | Poznań | Poland | 28 + 7 |
| 39 | 2011 | Szeged | Hungary | 29 + 8 |
| – | 2012 | Poznań | Poland | 11 |
| 40 | 2013 | Duisburg | Germany | 29 + 12 |
| 41 | 2014 | Moscow | Russia | 29 + 12 |
| 42 | 2015 | Milan | Italy | 26 + 12 |
| – | 2016 | Duisburg | Germany | 12 |
| 43 | 2017 | Račice | Czech Republic | 27 + 12 |
| 44 | 2018 | Montemor-o-Velho | Portugal | 30 + 12 |
| 45 | 2019 | Szeged | Hungary | 30 + 12 |
| – | 2020 | Duisburg | Germany | – |
| 46 | 2021 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 28 + 12 |
| 47 | 2022 | Dartmouth | Canada | 30 + 12 |
| 48 | 2023 | Duisburg | Germany | 30 + 12 |
| - | 2024 | Szeged | Hungary | 12 |
| 49 | 2024 | Samarkand | Uzbekistan | 20 |
| 50 | 2025 | Milan | Italy | |

### Note

* The 2020 ICF Paracanoe World Championships were cancelled as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Events

Current program :
| Event | 38 | 48 | 50 | 54 | 58 | 63 | 66 | 70 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Total |
| Men's C-1 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | • | • | • | 23 |
| Men's C-1 500 m | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 41 |
| Men's C-1 1000 m | • | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 47 |
| Men's C-1 5000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Men's C-2 500 m | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 40 |
| Men's C-2 1000 m | • | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 48 |
| Men's C-4 500 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | | 20 |
| Men's K-1 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 24 |
| Men's K-1 500 m | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 48 |
| Men's K-1 1000 m | • | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 47 |
| Men's K-1 5000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Men's K-2 500 m | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 47 |
| Men's K-2 1000 m | • | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 48 |
| Men's K-4 500 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 30 |
| Women's C-1 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | * | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 11 |
| Women's C-1 500 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | * | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | 6 |
| Women's C-1 1000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | 3 |
| Women's C-1 5000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | 6 |
| Women's C-2 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | 6 |
| Women's C-2 500 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | * | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 10 |
| Women's C-4 500 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | | 3 |
| Women's K-1 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 24 |
| Women's K-1 500 m | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 46 |
| Women's K-1 1000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 22 |
| Women's K-1 5000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 16 |
| Women's K-2 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 24 |
| Women's K-2 500 m | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 47 |
| Women's K-4 500 m | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | 43 |
| Mixed C-2 500 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | 3 |
| Mixed C-4 500 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | 1 |
| Mixed K-2 500 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | 3 |
| Mixed K-4 500 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | 1 |
| Past events |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | 38 | 48 | 50 | 54 | 58 | 63 | 66 | 70 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 | | Total |
| Men's C-1 10000 m | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 23 |
| Men's C-1 4 × 200 m relay | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| Men's C-2 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | 20 |
| Men's C-2 10000 m | • | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 24 |
| Men's C-4 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 |
| Men's C-4 1000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | 22 |
| Men's K-1 10000 m | • | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 24 |
| Men's K-1 4 × 200 m relay | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| Men's K-1 4 × 500 m relay | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 |
| Men's K-2 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | 21 |
| Men's K-2 10000 m | • | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 24 |
| Men's K-4 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 |
| Men's K-4 1000 m | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | 45 |
| Men's K-4 10000 m | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 23 |
| Men's folding K-1 10000 m | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Men's folding K-2 10000 m | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Women's K-1 600 m | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Women's K-1 4 × 200 m relay | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| Women's K-2 600 m | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Women's K-2 1000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | 18 |
| Women's K-2 5000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 |
| Women's K-4 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 |
| Women's K-4 1000 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | • | • | • | • | • | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 |
| Mixed C-2 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | | | | 1 |
| Mixed K-2 200 m | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | • | | | | 1 |
| Total | 12 | 5 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 20 | |
(*) Indicates exhibition events (not counted towards total)

## Editions Junior and U23

* ICF Canoe Sprint Junior World Championships from 1985 to 2011
* ICF Canoe Sprint Junior and U23 World Championships from 2013
Source:
| J (U20) | U23 | Year | Host | Events |
| 1 | - | 1985 | Castel Gandolfo, Italy | |
| 2 | - | 1987 | Belgrade, Yugoslavia | |
| 3 | - | 1989 | Dartmouth, Canada | |
| 4 | - | 1991 | Vienna, Austria | |
| 5 | - | 1993 | Racice, Czech Republic | |
| 6 | - | 1995 | Yamanashi, Japan | |
| 7 | - | 1997 | Lahti, Finland | |
| 8 | - | 1999 | Zagreb, Croatia | |
| 9 | - | 2001 | Curitiba, Brazil | |
| 10 | - | 2003 | Komatsu, Japan | |
| 11 | - | 2005 | Szeged, Hungary | |
| 12 | - | 2007 | Racice, Czech Republic | |
| 13 | - | 2009 | Moscow, Russia | |
| 14 | - | 2011 | Brandenburg, Germany | 23 + 0 |
| 15 | 1 | 2013 | Welland, Canada | 14 + 14 |
| 16 | 2 | 2014 | Szeged, Hungary | 14 + 14 |
| 17 | 3 | 2015 | Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal | 16 + 16 |
| 18 | 4 | 2016 | Minsk, Belarus | 19 + 18 |
| 19 | 5 | 2017 | Pitești, Romania | 19 + 18 |
| 20 | 6 | 2018 | Plovdiv, Bulgaria | 19 + 18 |
| 21 | 7 | 2019 | Pitești, Romania | 18 + 18 |
| - | - | 2020 | Brandenburg, Germany | Cancelled |
| 22 | 8 | 2021 | Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal | 24 + 24 |
| 23 | 9 | 2022 | Szeged, Hungary | 26 + 26 |
| 24 | 10 | 2023 | Auronzo, Italy | |

## Lists of medalists

* List of ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in men's Canadian
* List of ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in women's Canadian
* List of ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in men's kayak
* List of ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in women's kayak
* List of ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in paracanoe

## Medal tables
### Note

* ↑ Russia and Belarus were banned following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Athletes from those countries not in support of their states' actions were permitted to compete as Authorised Neutral Athletes since 2023.
* 1 2 Russia was banned from the 2021 World Championships and their athletes' medals were assigned to the Russian Canoe Federation.
* ↑ Therese Zens represented Saar when she won a gold medal in 1954. This is recorded for West Germany in the official tables.