The 2026 ICF Junior & U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships concluded this morning (NZ time) in Halifax, Canada, finishing up as one of NZ’s most successful Junior/U23 campaigns.
The young NZ team performed admirably on the world stage, coming away with some groundbreaking and historic results, including a first junior world title by Jacqueline Kennedy.
The full results by the NZ team:
GOLD – Jacqueline Kennedy, Junior Women’s K1 500m
4th – Stella Crossan/Jacqueline Kennedy/Alexis Toy/Taylor Newman, Junior Women’s K4 500m
7th – Thomas MacGibbon, U23 Men’s K1 200m
7th – Stella Crossan/Alexis Toy, Junior Women’s K2 500m
8th – Natasha MacGibbon, U23 Women’s K1 1000m
8th – Madison Garrett/Olive Pearce, U23 Women’s K2 500m
9th – Taylor Newman, Junior Women’s K1 200m
9th – Dylan Monk/Tiago Chamberlain/Sam Lees/Reid Clancy, U23 Men’s K4 500m
10th – Lachlan Harkness/Oliver Hutchinson, Junior Men’s K2 500m
12th – Oliver Hutchinson/ Alexis Toy, Junior Mixed 5km relay
12th – Reid Clancy/Olive Pearce, U23 Mixed 5km Relay
14th – Sam Lees, U23 Men’s K1 500m
15th – Reid Clancy, U23 Men’s K1 1000m
16th – Lachlan Harkness, Junior Men’s K1 1000m
18th – Madison Garrett, U23 Women’s K1 500m
9th in semifinal – Thomas MacGibbon/Dylan Monk, U23 Men’s K2 500m
Four Fun Facts from this year’s results:
- The New Zealand team qualified for eight A Finals in 2026, the most for NZ in one event. The previous best was seven A finals in Auronzo 2023 and Niagra 2013.
- Jacqueline Kennedy’s win in the Junior Women’s 500m final is New Zealand’s first gold medal by a junior athlete/crew. It is also the first K1 medal of any colour at a Junior World Championship.
- The Junior Women’s K4 500m 4th placing is the best result by a New Zealand K4 at a Junior and U23 World Championship. Previously, the highest finish position by a NZ junior or U23 K4 has been 6th, achieved by the junior women’s K4 and U23 men’s K4 in 2013 in Niagra, Canada.
- Lachlan Harkness and Oliver Hutchinson won their B final to claim 10th in the world in the Junior Men’s K2 500m. This is the first top 10 placing by a NZ junior men’s K2. The previous best placing was 14th by Max Brown and Aiden Nossiter in 2013.
Congratulations to all these athletes, their families, coaches and clubs on their performances at the World Championships. Thank you and well done to coaches Emily Willock and Leigh Barker , and team manager Steve Vaughan for the work they put in to make this campaign such a success.
