The international racing season gets underway this week in Szeged, Hungary for the opening 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup.
Lining up for Ireland is Sean Butterly, who is set to make his senior international debut in his last year competing in the junior category. After a brilliant start to the year, winning the Junior National Championships and placing 2nd in the Senior British Premier Division regatta in Nottingham, Sean will be taking another important step in his development as he gains valuable experience racing at senior international level for the first time.
Following the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Hungary, attention will turn to the next major international event for Canoeing Ireland, the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The first 3 Canoe Slalom World Cup races in 2026 will be essential preparation races for the World Championships, which marks the beginning of the Olympic Qualification Ranking period (25/7/26-3/10/27), where our paddlers will have their first opportunity to qualify for the 2028 LA Olympic Games.
