In some very exciting news for performance paddle sports, Canoeing Ireland is pleased to announce the appointment of the new Performance and Pathway Director, Michael Black. Michael is coming on board at a time of incredible momentum for Irish paddle sport. In recent years, Irish athletes have delivered historic performances on the international stage — from Olympic appearances to a range of international medals across sprint, slalom, marathon and freestyle to name a few. These achievements have set the benchmark for Canoeing Ireland’s as a sporting body, with a growing culture of excellence and a clear focus on development at every level of the sport.
Michael joins Canoeing Ireland bringing with him over twenty years of experience in high-performance sport. His career includes key roles with both Triathlon Ireland and Cycling Ireland, where he played a central part in developing athlete pathways and building systems that nurtured and supported talent from grassroots through to elite level.
Michael’s most recent role as High Performance Pathway Lead with Cycling Ireland saw him lead the development of the national high-performance pathway strategy, design and implement new athlete progression frameworks, and work collaboratively across disciplines to align coaching, performance, and long-term athlete development.
Now stepping into his new role with Canoeing Ireland, Michael brings a proven track record in building effective performance systems, developing coaches, and guiding athletes through every stage of their sporting journey. His appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Canoeing Ireland’s performance ambitions, with a renewed focus on creating strong, sustainable pathways from grassroots, to club, to podium.
Hear from Michael on his aims for the role below –
