Gualeguaychú hosts historic World Canoe Marathon Championship

Gualeguaychú, Argentina, is hosting the 2026 World Canoe Marathon Championship, marking the first time this global competition is held in South America. The event features over 700 paddlers from around the world, including participants from South Africa, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Chile, and Spain.

In the Master categories, Micaela Maslein and Magdalena Garro secured gold in the K2 women's event. Other notable results from the opening days include gold for Uruguay's Rodrigo Caffa in the K1 men's 45-49 category and silver for local athlete Roberto “Tito” Palacios in the C1 men's 35-39 category.

The championship is being held alongside the Pan American Championship and World Cup events, utilizing a course on the Gualeguaychú River that extends from the Méndez Casariego Bridge to the port area. The event also features cultural programming, including the screening of the documentary “Una historia escrita en el agua,” which chronicles 50 years of the Regata Internacional del Río Negro.