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Durban Passes the Baton to Villajoyosa for the 2026 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships

 

22 October 2025

 

The local paddlers return home from South Africa with two gold medals and six silver medals in various categories.

 

Villajoyosa is officially the next global capital of sea kayaking. The closing ceremony of the ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships, held in Durban (South Africa), marked the symbolic handover of host city status to Villajoyosa, which will welcome the world’s best paddlers in October 2026.

 

Local athletes returned home from Durban with an impressive haul of medals — two golds and six silvers — across various categories, confirming once again the town’s strength in this demanding discipline.

 

Mayor Marcos Zaragoza expressed his pride and enthusiasm for the upcoming event:

1. “We now hold the baton for the Sea Kayak World Championships in Villajoyosa — an event that will place our town firmly on the world map of this sport. It’s a unique opportunity that will bring together athletes, families, tourists, and media from across the globe. Our local paddlers are already achieving incredible results, and we’ll continue to support them as we prepare for 2026.”

 

Councillor for Sports Peyo Lloret added:

“The ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships is an event we have been working towards for some time, and preparations are already underway. Kayaking is one of Villajoyosa’s flagship disciplines, and this World Championship is the culmination of years of dedication and hard work.”

President of the Villajoyosa Yacht Club, Jaime Llinares, highlighted the collaboration behind the achievement:

 

“Hosting an event of this calibre in Villajoyosa is the result of joint effort and commitment. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we intend to make the most of it to elevate kayaking to new heights.”

 

During the flag handover ceremony, Kim Pople, President of the South African Canoe Federation, presented the ICF flag to Marían Sarbu, President of the ICF Ocean Racing Committee, who then passed it to the Spanish representative Alejandro Agüera — Technical Director of the Spanish Sea Kayak team and Chair of the Ocean Racing Committee within the Royal Spanish Canoe Federation.

 

 

The Spanish team celebrated notable results in Durban:

🥇 Andrea Jiménez, Junior SS1 World Champion

🥇 Chloe Bunnet, 45–49 SS1 World Champion

🥈 Pau Sánchez & Ariadne Giménez, Junior Mixed SS2 runners-up

🥈 Sara Mengual & Pablo St Mary, U23 Mixed SS2 runners-up

🥈 Chloe Bunnet & Jorge Vila, 70–79 Mixed SS2 runners-up

 

Villajoyosa’s long-standing connection with the sport has made it a natural choice for the next championship. For the past 16 years, the Club Náutico de Villajoyosa, with support from the City Council, has organised the Eurochallenge — Europe’s longest-running sea kayaking competition — and hosted the 2018 European Championship.

 

The 2026 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships will take place in Villajoyosa on 9th, 10th, and 11th October 2026, welcoming over 700 paddlers from around the world.

 

In a statement following the Durban ceremony, the Royal Spanish Canoe Federation (RFEP) expressed its gratitude to the Villajoyosa City Council, led by Mayor Marcos Zaragoza, as well as to the Generalitat Valenciana, the Alicante Provincial Council, the Valencian Canoe Federation, and the Club Náutico de Villajoyosa, “whose commitment has been instrumental in the growth and success of sea kayaking in Spain.”