2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships: Preview, full schedule & how to watch the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifier live
300 of the world's top athletes from across 50 countries will compete at the competition, with both world championship titles and Paris 2024 Olympic quotas on the line.
Canoe Slalom
The 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships will take place next week (19-24 September) at the iconic Lee Valley White Water Center — the same venue that hosted the canoe slalom competition at the Olympic Games London 2012 and is recognised for having one of the best white water courses in the world.
Here are the top things to know about the upcoming competition.
2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships schedule
All times are local (GMT).
Team Events
Tuesday 19 September
- 10:30 - Women's Canoe Team Final
- 11:00 - Men's Canoe Team Final
- 11:42 - Women's Kayak Team Final
- 12:40 - Men's Kayak Team Final
Canoe Heats
Wednesday 20 September
- 10:30 - Women's Canoe Heats - Run 1
- 11:35 - Men's Canoe Heats - Run 1
- 14:00 - Women's Canoe Heats - Run 2
- 14:44 - Men's Canoe Heats - Run 2
Kayak Heats
Thursday 21 September
- 09:00 - Women's Kayak Heats - Run 1
- 10:24 - Men's Kayak Heats - Run 1
- 13:30 - Women;s Kayak Heats - Run 2
- 14:34 - Men's Kayak Heats - Run 2
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 02: Tim Baille (front) and Etienne Stott compete during the Men's Canoe Double (C2) Slalom on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Lee Valley White Water Centre.
Canoe Semis & Finals
Friday 22 September
- 10:03 - Women's Canoe Semi-Finals
- 11:08 - Men's Canoe Semi-Finals
- 13:35 - Women's Canoe Final
- 14:12 - Men's Canoe Final
Kayak Semis & Finals
Saturday 23 September
- 10:03 - Women's Kayak Semi-Finals
- 11:08 - Men's Kayak Semi-Finals
- 13:35 - Women's Kayak Final
- 14:12 - Men's Kayak Final
Kayak Cross
Sunday 24 September
- 09:00 - Women's Kayak Cross Time Trials
- 09:59 - Men's Kayak Cross Time Trials
- 11:55 - Women's Kayak Cross Heats
- 12:19 - Men's Kayak Cross Heats
- 13:34 - Women's Kayak Cross Quarter-Finals
- 13:52 - Men's Kayak Cross Quarter-Finals
- 14:10 - Women's Kayak Cross Semi-Finals
- 14:19 - Men's Kayak Cross Semi-Finals
- 14:30 - Women's Kayak Cross Final
- 14: 36 - Men's Kayak Cross Final
The only global qualification event for Paris 2024
The 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships is the global world qualification competition for the canoe slalom events of the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The best athletes placed in each event of this tournament will obtain the quota places for their respective National Olympic Committees. 15 quotas are available in each of the men's and women's K1 competitions, and 12 in each of the men’s and women’s C1 events. The three quotas in each of the men’s and women’s kayak cross will be decided during a special qualifying event in early 2024.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
Top athletes to watch
Ricarda Funk, Germany
Ricarda Funk is arguably the top competitor in the K1 women's event right now; the 31-year-old is the reigning Olympic champion and won K1 gold at the 2021 and 2022 world championships (as well as K1 team gold at the '22 worlds).
Joe Clarke, Great Britain
Joe Clarke won gold in the men's K1 at Rio 2016, though he is among the hot favourites to win gold in the kayak cross event at Lee Valley: a new Olympic discipline for Paris 2024. Clarke won kayak cross gold at the last two world championships in 2021 and 2022.
Jess Fox, Australia
Jess Fox has won 19 medals at the world championships, including 12 golds with twelve golds, five silvers and two bronze. Her eight gold medals in individual events make her the most successful paddler, male or female, in world championship history. Fox is also a four-time Olympic medallist, and the reigning Olympic champion in the women's C1 event.
Benjamin Savšek, Slovenia
After winning gold in the men's C1 event at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, Benjamin Savšek became just the fourth canoeist in history to become a world, European and Olympic champion. The 36-year-old has won eight medals at the world championships, including gold in the C1 (2017) and C1 team events (2022). He is also the reigning C1 European champion.
Jiří Prskavec, Czech Republic
Jiri Prskavec is a two-time world and five-time European champion in the men's K1 event. He has also won a combined nine golds in the K1 team event at both competitions, and is the reigning Olympic champion in the discipline.
How to watch the 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
Live streaming will be available on Planet Canoe's channel on Recast but, due to TV rights, the semi-finals and finals will not be available in the following territories: Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. However, for events scheduled on Friday 22, Saturday 23, and Sunday 24, 16 countries will air broadcast the action live on the following channels:
Brazil– Globo
China – CCTV
Czechia – Ceska Televize
France – France Télévisions
Germany – Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Öffentlichrechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundersrepublik Deutschland
& Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen
Hungary – Mediaszolgaltatas Tamogato es Vagyonkezelo Alap
Italy – RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana
Poland – Telewizja Polska s.a
Portugal – Radio e Televisao de Portugal
Romania – Inception Media
Russia – Match TV
Slovakia – Slovenska Televiza
Slovenia – Radiotelevizija Slovenija
Spain – Corporation de Radio y Television Espanola
New Zealand – Sky New Zealand
United Kingdom – British Broadcasting Corporation (red button)