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International Federation · Canoe & Kayak

Paddle Worldwide — formerly the International Canoe Federation (ICF)

Paddle Worldwide, called the International Canoe Federation until 26 July 2026, is the federation for canoe, kayak and paddlesport; its 2026 statutes record IOC, IPC and ASOIF recognition and a Budapest headquarters.
✓ Last reviewed: September 2026
NamePaddle Worldwide (PW) from 26 July 2026; International Canoe Federation (ICF) from 1946; founded as the IRK in 1924[1]
Founded20 January 1924, Copenhagen, per the statutes; 19 January 1924, Copenhagen, per the federation’s history page; 1924, München, per Olympedia[1][3][4]
HeadquartersBudapest, Hungary, governed by Hungarian law (Statutes Art. 7.1); offices also in Lausanne and Hangzhou[1][2]
Members173 national federations, per the federation (September 2026); Olympedia gives 171 as of January 2026[2][4]
RecognitionIOC, IPC and ASOIF, per the statutes; full member of ASOIF and member of the IWGA per their lists[1][5][6]
Anti-dopingWorld Anti-Doping Code signatory, listed by WADA as the International Canoe Federation (ICF)[7]
PresidentThomas Konietzko (Germany), since 2021, per Olympedia[4]

What is Paddle Worldwide?

Paddle Worldwide is the name the International Canoe Federation (ICF) has used since 26 July 2026. Article 1.4 of its 2026 statutes records that “The Congress held in Antalya from 7th to 8th November 2024 decided that the Federation be called Paddle Worldwide (PW) from 26th July 2026.”[1] The change was announced at the federation’s World Congress in Oklahoma City on 26 July 2026, immediately after the 2026 canoe slalom world championships held there from 20 to 25 July; the federation’s own site says that at Oklahoma City, where its XLI Ordinary Congress met, the ICF “underwent a thorough metamorphosis to adopt the Paddle Worldwide name”.[2][11]

The statutes define the body as “an international non-governmental non-profit world organisation for multidiscipline paddlesport and recreation activities”, and say it “embraces every activity in which a paddler is facing the direction of travel with a single or double bladed paddle.”[1] On its own site it describes itself as “the global authority for paddlesport, overseeing 10 disciplines worldwide, recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).”[2] Under the 2026 statutes those ten disciplines are slalom, sprint, para, dragon boat, freestyle, marathon, kayak polo, ocean, stand up paddle and wildwater paddle.[1] Documents, results and records issued before 26 July 2026 carry the ICF name, and some external registers still use it: WADA’s list of Code signatories, for example, names the International Canoe Federation (ICF).[7]

What does Paddle Worldwide govern or do?

Under Article 3 of its statutes the federation develops paddlesport at international level, organises international events and draws up the regulations for them.[1] Its rules page publishes a separate rulebook for each discipline: the 2025 competition rules for canoe sprint, paracanoe, canoe slalom, canoe marathon, canoe polo, wildwater canoeing, canoe freestyle, dragon boats, canoe ocean racing and stand up paddling, several with 2026 appendices or progression-system reviews, alongside canoe sprint world ranking rules in effect from 1 January 2025.[8]

On anti-doping, the rules page carries the federation’s 2021 anti-doping rules, and Article 66.2.2 of the statutes charges its Medical and Anti-doping Commission to “ensure Paddle Worldwide is in full compliance at all times with its obligations as a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code.”[1][8] WADA lists the federation among the Code signatories that are ASOIF members.[7]

At the Olympic Games the federation’s disciplines are canoe sprint and canoe slalom; canoe sprint made its Olympic debut at Berlin 1936 with nine men’s events, according to the federation’s sprint history, and the first women’s race followed at London 1948.[9] Paracanoe, listed in the statutes as para paddle and governed by its own rulebook, is the federation’s Paralympic discipline.[1][8]

When was Paddle Worldwide founded and where is it based?

The federation’s own documents give two dates for its founding. Article 1.2 of the 2026 statutes states that “the Austrian, Danish, German and Swedish Canoe Associations founded the Internationale Repräsentantschaft für Kanusport (IRK) in Copenhagen on 20th January 1924.”[1] Its history page says instead that “On 19 January 1924 the Internationale Repräsentantenschaft Kanusport (IRK) was formed in Copenhagen, Denmark”.[3] Olympedia, independently, gives 1924 and the same four founding members, but places the founding in München, Germany.[4] The year 1924 is common to all three; the federation’s two documents differ on the day, and Olympedia differs from both on the place.

Two renamings follow. Under Article 1.3, “The IRK Congress held in Stockholm from 7th to 10th June 1946 decided that the Federation be called the International Canoe Federation (ICF).” Under Article 1.4, the Antalya Congress of 7–8 November 2024 decided on the name Paddle Worldwide, effective 26 July 2026.[1]

On its seat, Article 7.1 states: “The Paddle Worldwide headquarters is in Budapest, Hungary and Paddle Worldwide is governed by Hungarian law.”[1] The federation’s site lists three addresses: Váci út 76 in Budapest, Avenue de Rhodanie 54 in Lausanne and 80 Fuchun Road in Hangzhou.[2] The Sports Examiner reports that “The federation relocated its headquarters to Budapest in 2025, but maintained a smaller office in Lausanne (SUI) and has opened an office in China (Hangzhou)”; the year of the move rests on that single secondary source.[13] Olympedia still gives Lausanne as the headquarters.[4]

How is Paddle Worldwide recognised?

Article 2 of the 2026 statutes states: “Paddle Worldwide is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), as the sole controlling body for international canoeing and paddlesport.”[1] The date on which the IOC first recognised the federation could not be confirmed from a federation document or from Olympedia; the Olympic record itself runs from the Berlin 1936 Games.[4][9]

The umbrella bodies’ own lists confirm the memberships. ASOIF lists Paddle Worldwide among its 30 full members.[5] The International World Games Association lists Paddle Worldwide among its member federations.[6] WADA lists the federation, under its former name, as a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code in the category of ASOIF members within the Olympic Movement.[7]

The federation’s own site summarises its standing more briefly, as “recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)”; its IPC and ASOIF recognition is stated in the statutes and, for ASOIF, confirmed by ASOIF’s list.[2][5] Its recognition and its name are distinct matters: the 2026 renaming changed what the federation is called, not the recognitions its statutes record.[1]

What does Paddle Worldwide organise?

The federation stages world championships in its disciplines and World Cup series in several of them. The 2026 canoe slalom world championships were held at RIVERSPORT in Oklahoma City from 20 to 25 July 2026.[11] The 2026 Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships, sprint and paracanoe combined in one event, were held in Poznań, Poland, from 26 to 30 August 2026.[10] The 2026 Dragon Boat World Championships are scheduled for Hangzhou, China, from 30 September to 3 October 2026, and a stand up paddling World Cup in Suzhou from 5 to 7 October 2026.[12]

International competition predates the ICF name: the federation’s sprint history records that Copenhagen hosted the first European Championships on 19 August 1933, and that canoe sprint entered the Olympic programme at Berlin 1936.[9]

At the Olympic Games the federation’s sprint and slalom events are contested under its rules; its site notes that Oklahoma City is the “future host of the Canoe Slalom events at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028”.[2] The federation is also a member of the IWGA, which organises The World Games for non-Olympic disciplines.[6] An ordinary Congress, the federation’s general assembly, meets “every even year” under Article 29.[1]

Who are its members?

The federation’s members are national federations. Article 9 of the statutes provides that “Only one (1) National Federation shall be recognised as a National Federation of Paddle Worldwide in each country”, and Article 11.3 lets the Executive Committee accept a national federation “as a provisional member of Paddle Worldwide, subject to ratification by the Congress.”[1]

The federation’s about page, read on 29 September 2026, states: “With 173 National Federations, PW unites millions of paddlers globally”.[2] Olympedia gives a separate count: “As of January 2026, PWW has 171 national federations as members”.[4] The history page, written earlier, speaks of expansion “to over 150 countries within the span of 85 years.”[3] The figures come from different dates and are reported side by side.

Article 20 of the statutes recognises five continental associations: the Asian Canoe Confederation, the Confederation of African Canoe, Paddle Europe, the Oceania Canoe Association and the Pan American Canoe Federation.[1] Thomas Konietzko of Germany has held the office since 2021, according to Olympedia, whose list of presidents begins with Franz Reinicke in 1924.[4]

References

  1. Paddle Worldwide — Statutes 2026 (Arts. 1–3, 7, 9, 11, 20, 29, 66). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Paddle Worldwide — About Paddle Worldwide. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Paddle Worldwide — History. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  4. Olympedia — Paddle Worldwide (organisation page). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  5. ASOIF — Members. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  6. International World Games Association — Member federations. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  7. WADA — Code signatories. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  8. Paddle Worldwide — Rules and statutes (competition, ranking and anti-doping rules). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  9. Paddle Worldwide — Canoe sprint (discipline history). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  10. Paddle Worldwide — 2026 Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships, Poznań. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  11. American Canoe Association — 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships recap. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  12. Paddle Worldwide — Competitions calendar. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  13. The Sports Examiner — Paddle Worldwide changed its name and is changing its finances. Accessed 2026-09-29.