Last night heavy rain strongly increased the water level and the put-in of women and mix teams has been moved after the two 4 level rapids that are in the first km. The men paddled the 8 km downriver that required the combination of fast paddling in the slow parts and clean technique in the long demanding rapids. 

Venezuela - Derrumbe rapid

The best absolute time was earned by Venezuela: Antonio Guzman, Carlos Lobo, Jean Carlo Castillo, Jean Carlos Andrades and Eduard Erazo got a well deserved downriver gold in the men category at their first WRF competition with 35:32.44, 5 seconds ahead of Brazil who got the second place. Finally third place to the Slalom winners of Colombia 1.

In the women category the 80 golden points go to Chile 1: Yisseth Moralez, Marina Saez, Magdalena Muaoz, Marlene Epulef and Tabata Araya Soto closed with 21:00.16.

With a gap of 15 seconds Magdalena Alonso, Virginia Gisela Dubosca Carra, Camila Gonzalez Guzman and Agustina Micaela Magnaterra (Argentina) got the second place, followed by Chile 2 one second later that decided their third place.

Mix category has been taken by Chile 2: Arantxa Bahamondez, Javiera Alfaro, Teresa Calvo, Amaru Parini Lavanchy and Camilo Soto with 20:14.87.

23 seconds later Colombia 1 stopped the chronometer, followed by Argentina with 21:06.48: Melani Ailen Kindenet, Julieta Ana Beatriz Vilte, Arian Torres, Tomas Capelar Ferrer and Ignacio Julian Bravo.

Tomorrow is the last race day and RX is going to define the PanAmericano: Rio Fonce is more than listo! 

One day to go!

33 teams landed in San Gil, in the Valle the San Josè. The department of Santander, Colombia, is hosting the Pan-American Rafting Championship from 28 September to 2 October. Teams from  Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Perù and Venezuela arrived and are ready to paddle in rio Fonce. Italy sent a mix team  and the male team who is actually the world champion with the overall gold in France. They who will not compete for the title but take part in the event.

On 30th September the competition will be on with the qualification phase of the RX.

The Pan-American council will be elected during a board of directors and we will announce the members soon. 

WRF President declares “I am very happy to see a great participation in this event, after 2 challenging years of sacrifices and doubts for the athletes. I wait for all of you in San Gil and for now I wish you good luck with the training, discovering the big rapids of rio Fonce”

The World Rafting Federation has concluded a free technical workshop for the Delegations of Morocco and Iran in the city of Villeneuve, Italy from 10-12 July. The workshop is part of the WRF Developing Programme, which aims to develop the skills and quality of professional sports athletes and coaches worldwide.

It was led by professional international rafting coaches and instructors and focused on preparations for competitions, improving athletes’ training regimes and improving their technical abilities. The seminar also focused on safety in water sports thanks to the collaboration of a legend of rafting, David Alemanni.

Regarding the benefits and structure of the workshop, Mr El Mamoun, President of Fédération Royale Marocaine de Canoë Kayak and Responsible of the constitution of the new governing body for rafting sport in Morocco said:

“With the support of the WRF, Italian Rafting Federation and Rafting Aventure, we have provided useful training for more than 10 athletes by some of the leading international professionals in their fields.

Through the workshop, we are ensuring that our coaches and athletes have access to the latest best practices and techniques in the sport. We are working hard to be present at the Asian Championships in September, to organise the first African Championships in the coming springs and to arrive at the Senior Worlds with strong teams”. 

Mr Ghazi Asgar, WRF Executive Board Member and Head of Delegation of the Iranian Iran Canoeing, Rowing & Sailing Federation at the last Euro Cup in Italy, said:

“During this seminar we discussed how rafting techniques should be, how training will be made systematic. For us, the workshop was very useful. This gives our athletes the chance to work with the latest best practices and techniques so they can improve their performances at competitions and their skills. Next goal is to organise a seminar in Asia to support all the WRF Members which are approaching rafting for the first time”.

First day of competition was the literal definition of slalom!

The RX qualification inaugurated the race weekend with a fast sprint on the slalom course. Best time (91.77) was scored by the home team of Colombia 3 in the men category. William Fernando Sarmiento, Diego Tapias, Diego Mejia, Jorge Gomez and Sebastian Rojas will face Brasil, with the 5th time (94.15), in the knock out. Second time for Colombia 1 by Diego Arenas Duarte, Sebastian Chacon, Walter Gomez, Andres Moreno and Sebastian Rojas Sarmiento (93.42) and third time for Chile 2 by Daniel Reyes, David Reyes, Gabriel Espinos, Benjamin Benavides and Claudino Sanmartin (93.72).

In the same section the gates were moved designing a demanding path: the most difficult passage seemed not to be among the eddies, trying to chase the upstream gates, but rather the 4, 5 and 6 green gates. The entrance in this chicacan from the downstream 3 was fundamental and selected the teams who could do the left-right-left in the following rapid.

First 100 points in the men category, with the gold in the slalom, go to Colombia 1: Diego Arenas Duarte, Sebastian Chacon, Walter Gomez, Andres Moreno and Sebastian Rojas Sarmiento run 2 clean lines with no penalties (128.74).

90 points for Brasil in the second place: Pedro Aversa, Thiago Saldanha Serra, William Ferraz and Thiago Diniz Barne Ganeo (129.72 in the first run, they got a 50 penalty in the second that costed a lot). 

Slalom men bronze for Argentina 1of Matias Maximiliano Cordero, Denis Orlando Gelves, Mauro Solano, Juan Martin Martinez: 80 points with 131.02 in the first run. Many teams changed tactics in the second manche but got penalties: the river is faster that it 

First two steps of the women podium taken by Chile: gold for Chile 2 with a clean first run for (156.03) Maritza Gajardo, Antonia Bande, Maria Jesus Inzunza, Paloma Molina and Valentina Aliago.

Silver for Chile 1, again with no penalties in the first attempt: 164.03 for Yisseth Moralez, Marina Saez, Magdalena Muaoz, Marlene Epulef and Tabata Araya Soto. 

Women bronze to Colombia 1 with the best time with one penalty in the second run: 212.22 for Dayana Bayona, Paola Sanchez, Milyei Nuãez and Milagros de Valle Morales.

William Delgado, Luswing Millan, Yayson Rojas, Milyei Nuãez and Milagros de Valle Morales earned a Colombian gold also in the Mix category: with a touch on the 2 green gate they got a good time of 145.11.

Silver for Chile 2 with best manche in the first clean run: 164.30 for Arantxa Bahamondez, Javiera Alfaro, Teresa Calvo, Amaru Parini Lavanchy and Camilo Soto.

Bronze to Colombia 2: 203.34 due to one missed gate for Mayerli Gamboa, Lorena Barragãin, Edison Olaya, Jhon Narvaez and David Gamboa.

The course was the definition of slalom itself! Many different strategies available depending on the strength and technique required the perfect coordination between the front and the back athletes, that always had to paddle together, especially backwards, to change direction. 

Now it’s downriver time!

Following the yesterday’s Board of Directors and several meetings among the event’s organisers in the previous days, we are sorry to comunicate that WRF is forced to postpone the Asian Championship. The race was supposed to be held from 16th to 23rd September 2022 in Himachal Pradesh state, in the northern India.

Heavy rain during the last week has caused havoc. As many as 22 people have lost their lives in floods, rockslides and landslides, with at least 6 people missing and 10 injured. 

Due to the natural disaster the dates of the competition have been delayed and will be discussed with the organisation and the Board in the upcoming days.

“We are truly sorry for the local struggle and pay our respect to the families involved in the disaster. I am sure our athletes will comprehend the situation. President of the Indian Rafting Foundation Shaukat Sikand did everything he could in order to help the organisation of the race, but we will compete in India once the emergency is over, wishing the local people to return to comfortable and safe conditions as soon as possible” WRF President Danilo Barmaz declared.

First race day of the Euro Cup in Villeneuve was opened by the RX selection on 7th afternoon: Dora Baltea river welcomed 128 athletes and 27 teams with its III grade rapids, that selected the matches of the knock-out phase that is taking place today. Later in the day, yesterday, the the first points were scored with the 6kms of Downriver, starting from the amazing Inferno canyon in the Leverogne section.

Men category - Italy

The fastest team to stop the clock and was Rafting Team Verona, who got the first 80 points winning the Senior Men category with 22’17.52; 30 more seconds for the silver CC Pescantina-AddaViva-RaftingAventure (22’50.87- 72 points). Third step of the podium and 64 points for AddaViva-M&N who finished with 23’25.63.

Women category - Iran

Italy leads also in the women category: 24’24.57 for the team AddaViva-RKCC-RaftingAventure who got the first place. Iran got the silver with 27’44.42, straight ahead of Turkey team with 28’33.78.

A challenging downriver for the 6 MIX teams that saw 4 teams from Italy getting the best times, followed by France and Morocco. First place for Rafting Team Verona with 22’47.90 only 10 seconds ahead of the teammates RaftingTeamVerona-M&N-DRD4 with 22’57.11. Bronze medal for the local team of guides IntiRafting-RaftingAventure with 23’17.45.

Mix category - France

ParaRafting category was taken by M&N-AddaViva_RaftinTeamVerona (22’38.35) followed by M&N-SesiaRafting-Pescantina-AddaViva (23’15.81).

A great time for the Winner of the Junior Men: RaftingAventure with young U19 local athletes stopped the clock at 22’58.13, sixth best time overall. Second place, with 23’44.48, for M&N. 

A gap of only 20 seconds between the winner of the Junior women DRD4 24’56.52 and the second RaftingTeamVerona 25’14.17.

Last category is Junior mix with the golden AddaViva-DRD4-M&N 23’43.59 and M&N-DRD4 25’05.63.

ParaRafting category - Italy

Narrow passages and a tricky water level awarded these first points: everything will be decided today with the RX and with the 2 closing matches of Slalom on Saturday that will take place in the same section in Villeneuve. 

At the beginning of the Pan-American rafting championship the first Pan-American Council in history has been elected in the Valle de San Josè, Santander, Colombia.

Martin Martinez, the WRF representative of the athletes, welcomed the delegations and opened the meeting, presenting the members:

President Freddy Merchan (Colombia)

Vice-president Alex Segura (Costa Rica)

Secretary Carolina Soto (Chile)

Board Ariel Domínguez (Argentina), Veronica Medici (Brazil), Gregory Perez (Venezuela), Jhelder Justi Alcala Delgado (Perù)

WRF President Danilo Barmaz declared “This is a great step for the rafting movement: this council put together newborn realities in the agonistic rafting and decades of experience in the river from the different commercial fields. Sport has nothing to take away from the river dimension; indeed it is a transversal tool for the common growth and I am happy to see that the everything started from the different realities in a spontaneous way. The common desire to genuinely grow gave birth to this project and I am ready and proud to be a part of it. It is a great pleasure to see that projects are not only words: with passion we can make things happen.”

Now, for the first time in history, San Gil will host an international rafting competition, after a solid 20 years experience of commercial rafting working on the big local rivers.

Tonight the opening ceremony officially inaugurated the Pan-American Rafting Championship 2022 in the Plaza principal de San Josè. 

The recently elected President of the Pan-American Council Fredy Merchan, the Director of the Inder Santander, the local Mayor of San Josè and the event director Alba Salazar, after the introduction of the Sport Minister Maria Isabel Urrutia, attended the ceremony with 35 teams celebrating on the beats of the local music and dance.

The “PanAmericano” is officially on: nos vemos al Rio mañana!

The 980 m venue in Çekerek district in the Yozgat province, Türkiye, is the second WRF Centre of Excellence. From 15th to 20th July, after months of careful planning and construction, the venue had a successful inauguration during a World Rafting competition: the International Gran Prix of Türkiye. 171 athletes competed in the 3 rafting disciplines: most of the athletes were from Türkiye, where the federation is constantly improving as well as the participation of athletes; on the other hand, among the 6 categories competing, the flags of Armenia, Georgia, Italy and Kazakshtan definitely stood out.

 Kazakshtan Senior delegation (men category) and the young Junion athletes from Italy (men, women and mix categories)

WRF President Danilo Barmaz declared “I am very happy about the progress that is going on: the venue is a positive step forward for the rafting development in Türkiye, and internationally, and at the same time a new starting point. The water level can increase thanks to the constant release that the lake guarantees and it will become a great whitewater venue, perfect for practice and competitions.” The President of the Türkiye Rafting Federation Mr Fikret Yardımcı welcomed Vice President of Türkiye Mr. Fuat Oktay and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vahit Kirişci who, after the speech at the opening ceremony, have been in the venue and watched the competition of the young Junior athletes.

Mr Fikret Yardımcı, Sports Minister Dr Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu and Mr Danilo Barmaz

Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu took part in the event during the following days and with the Vice President thanked and congratulated everyone who took part in the venue construction: the public has been in the foreground and warmly welcomed.

Furthermore the village for the hosts is ready and immediately close to the water course: at the Centre of Excellence the doors are open and the waves guaranteed. 

Next week Aosta Valley will welcome 135 athletes for the Euro Cup in Villeneuve: on 7th, 8th and 9th July they will compete in the III level rapids of Dora Baltea.

28 teams competing is 7 categories will land in Italy: despite the lack of water in Valtellina, where the competition was supposed to be, Dora Baltea river has a good water level for the race, thanks to the flow that comes straight from the glacier of Mont Blanc, just 20kms upstream.

On 7th Leverogne section will officially welcome the rafters in its canyon at the start of the Downriver.

8th will be the Slalom Day: 2 manches in the Loc. Chavonne, in front of Aventure center.

Final results will be decided on 9th with the RX knock out.

On Monday 11th July there will be a free Safety Workshop. The meeting will be held by Mr David Allemanni who invites the athletes who competed in the Euro Cup to participate.

See you in the river!