The world’s best Para canoe athletes are set to gather in Milan, Italy, this week to compete at the first World Championships since the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
More than 800 athletes, including Paralympic and Olympic champions from nearly 70 nations, will compete at the 2025 International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships from 20–24 August.
Paris 2024 Paralympians, including six gold medallists, and the sport’s rising stars are set to compete in 12 medal events in Para canoe.
Ahead of the five-day World Championships, get to know some of the home stars and Paris 2024 gold medallists who are aiming to take the spotlight in Milan.
Home stars
Christian Volpi (Italy)
Among the Italian Para canoe athletes, Volpi—who competed at Paris 2024—is a standout name. He has become a regular on the men’s KL2 podium, starting this season with a bronze medal at the ICF Paracanoe World Cup in Poznan. The 26-year-old then secured silver at the European Championships in Racice, finishing behind Great Britain’s David Phillipson. Volpi is expected to be in contention for a medal in Milan.
He finished fourth at the 2024 World Championships and will be determined to go one better this year.
Viktoryia Pistis Shablova (Italy)
Another strong medal hope for Italy is Pistis Shablova. The 32-year-old arrives in Milan as the defending champion following her superb victory in the women’s VL1 in Szeged in 2024. She began the season with a silver medal behind Japan’s Monika Seryu at the World Cup in Poznan and added another silver at the European Championships, finishing between Germany’s Chinette Karina Lauridsen and Lillemor Koeper. With Seryu and Lauridsen set to compete again, it will be a tough challenge—but home advantage could prove pivotal to Pistis Shablova’s chances of victory.
Paralympic champions
Brahim Guendouz (Algeria)
Brahim Guendouz is aiming to add another gold medal to his collection after making history at Paris 2024 as Africa’s first Paralympic canoe champion. The 26-year-old Algerian is seeking his first World Championship gold, with his best previous result being a bronze in Duisburg, Germany. The men’s 200m KL3 event will also feature Paris 2024 silver medallist Dylan Littlehaus of Australia and bronze medallist Miqueias Elias Rodrigues of Brazil.
Charlotte Henshaw (Great Britain)
Three-time Paralympic gold medallist and 10-time world champion Charlotte Henshaw is a key athlete to watch in Milan. She arrives as the defending champion in both the women’s 200m KL2 and 200m VL3 events.
At Paris 2024, Great Britain topped the Para canoe medals table with two gold and two silver medals. While Henshaw has her sights set on LA28, she is also excited to witness the growth of Para canoe since she took up the sport in 2017. She made her Paralympic debut in Para canoe at Tokyo 2020, after competing in Para swimming at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016.
“It’s a course that I have never raced at so it’s nice to go somewhere new and I love Italy,” Henshaw told the ICF. “It’s always a privilege to race at a World Championships. I am looking forward to being there and seeing the sport grow. That’s what is most exciting.”
Fernando Rufino de Paulo (Brazil)
Nicknamed the Iron Cowboy, Fernando Rufino de Paulo will be chasing his fourth World Championship gold medal in Milan. The two-time Paralympic champion will compete in the men’s 200m VL2 event alongside fellow Brazilian Igor Alex Tofalini. Most recently, Rufino finished runner-up to his good friend Tofalini at May’s World Cup in Poznan.
Katherinne Wollermann (Chile)
Katherinne Wollermann made history for Chile by winning bronze in the women’s kayak single KL1 at Tokyo 2020. She later became her country’s first world champion in the sport at Szeged 2024 and was crowned Paralympic champion at Paris 2024. She is now looking to earn her second World Championship gold. Paris 2024 silver medallist Maryna Mazhula of Ukraine and bronze medallist Edina Muller will also be competing in Milan.
Laura Sugar (Great Britain)
Two-time Paralympic champion Laura Sugar is aiming for her fifth consecutive world title in the women’s 200m KL3 event. Sugar transitioned to Para canoe in 2018 after competing in Para athletics at Rio 2016. She was sensational at Paris 2024, successfully defending her KL3 gold medal after winning the World Championship title in 2024. In June, she claimed gold at the European Canoe Association Paracanoe European Championships, where Great Britain topped the standings.
Peter Kiss (Hungary)
Peter Kiss remains the athlete to beat in the KL1 division. He became the youngest Paralympic canoe gold medallist in Tokyo at age 18 and continued his dominance at Paris 2024, finishing 1.87 seconds ahead of Brazil’s Luis Carlos Cardoso da Silva. Now 22, Kiss is chasing his fifth World Championship gold medal in Milan.
For more information about the Milan 2025 World Championships, please visit the ICF website.
Discover more about Para canoe at Paralympic.org.