Australia secures second place at ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

Australia secured second place on the medal table at the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships, highlighted by three gold medals on the final day of competition.

In the men’s program, Tom Green won the K1 500m final, marking his first world title. In the paracanoe division, Curtis McGrath secured his 13th World Championship title by winning the men’s KL2 200m final, a victory that also earned him qualifying points for the LA28 Games. Ben Sainsbury also achieved success, winning his third men’s VL1 200 title.

The women’s program saw Natalia Drobot and Kailey Harlen win gold in the K2 event, becoming the first Australian women to achieve this specific World Championship gold since 1998. Overall, the Australian team finished the championships with a total of four gold, one silver, and two bronze medals across both Para and non-disabled classes.