Team Ireland wrapped up an impressive campaign at the 2025 ICF Canoe Sprint Junior & U23 World Championships, delivering strong performances, PBs, and two top-10 world finishes in what proved to be a competitive and inspiring week of racing.

Ireland’s week began with promising early performances. Junior athlete Sean Butterly set the tone on Day 1 with a commanding 1st place finish in his heat of the Junior Men’s K1 1000m, announcing himself as a contender in the event.
Meanwhile, Lucy Cullen (Junior Women’s K1 1000m) and Carl Harris (U23 Men’s K1 200m) both progressed confidently through their heats to the semifinals, showcasing Ireland’s developing strength across distances. Conor Donnellan also made his debut in the Junior Men’s K1 200m, gaining valuable championship experience.

As the competition intensified, Irish athletes continued to perform with determination.
Lucy Cullen advanced to the B Final of the Junior Women’s K1 1000m, and Carl Harris returned for a strong outing in the U23 K1 200m semifinals, later taking on a second challenge in the K1 500m. Sadb Shannon joined the action, successfully progressing to the Junior Women’s K1 200m semifinal, and later paired with Lucy Cullen in the K2 500m, narrowly missing out on qualification in a highly competitive field.

One of the standout results came from Sean Butterly, who followed up his early heat win in the 1000m with a composed 3rd place finish in his semifinal, securing a spot in the A Final of the Junior Men’s K1 1000m. In a tightly contested final, Sean placed 8th in the world, cementing his status as one of the top junior paddlers globally.

Image: A young male kayaker races on a flat section of water. He is racing side by side with kayakers from other nations. He is wearing a green 'Ireland' singlet

Lucy Cullen delivered a strong 5th place finish in the B Final of the K1 1000m, placing her 14th overall in the world at junior level.

Sadb Shannon’s campaign concluded in her semifinal of the Junior K1 200m, where she placed 9th after a valiant effort.

To finish off the week, Team Ireland embraced the newly introduced Mixed K1 5K Relay, with Sean Butterly and Lucy Cullen teaming up for one final push. Against a deep international field, the pair delivered a gritty performance, finishing in 8th place—a strong close to what was already an outstanding championships.

Image: A girl wearing a green 'Ireland' singlet runs ahead of a boy wearing the same singlet. They are surrounded by athletes from other nations doing the same

Photos – John Butterly