World-class kayaking competitions could come to Columbus. Here’s what to know
The world’s best kayakers could compete in Columbus if the city’s bids to host two championships are successful.
Columbus is competing to host the Canoe Sprint World Cup, which will take place in 2022 or 2023 depending on the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitewater Express owner Dan Gilbert told stakeholders during a Coalition for Sound Growth Zoom videoconference Monday.
Columbus also has submitted a bid to host the ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships, to take place in 2023 or 2024.
“We all have our fingers crossed in hopes that that will come through,” Gilbert told attendees. “We’ve got a serious bid in, and it’s being considered, and we hope that they’ll select us as the site.”
The bids were submitted around a year ago, Gilbert said. He told the Ledger-Enquirer that the city is hoping to hear back from ICF by the summer.
The Canoe Sprint World Cup competitions are held every year in a four-competition series, according to the International Canoe Federation. The first three events are the World Cups, which are held in May and June, and the final event in the series is the World Championships, which are held in August.
Columbus’ whitewater course has previously hosted world-class kayakers.
In 2015, world champion Claire O’Hara called the rapids on the Chattahoochee River “amazing” after her first time on them. Jez Jezz, who has won over 10 national championships, called the course “world class.”
A winning bid could provide a boost to the local economy as businesses recover from the COVID pandemic.
During a normal year, the Chattahoochee River brings around 50,000 visitors to Columbus, Gilbert said during the call. Most visitors travel from over one hour away, resulting in around 4,000 hotel rooms purchased per year. Most visitors go to at least one restaurant, Gilbert said.
Columbus also has hosted the USA Freestyle Kayaking National Championships. World competitions, though, usually take place in bigger areas.
“It’s generally held in much larger cities,” Gilbert told the Ledger-Enquirer. “It was held in Rio de Janiero, the next time it was held, it was the year before last in Sort, Spain. ... This summer, it was to be held in Nottingham, England, but Nottingham is being postponed until 2022 due to COVID.”
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 1:50 PM.
