News WRF

ERDOĞAN MEETS THE TURKISH RAFTING FEDERATION

11/08/2018, Rize, Turkey - Before the Turkish Super League's football match Çaykur Rizespor VS Kasimpaşa the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a meeting with the WRF Vice President and President of the Turkish Rafting Federation, Mr Fikret Yardimci, other members of the National Board and some national athletes.

The president Erdoğan was born in Istanbul in 1954 but his family is from Rize so he often visits the city. Fırtına Deresi is the big river that crosses Rize and many national athletes live and train here, between green valleys, white water and the Black Sea; so on 11th August Rize's rafters and members of the Rafting Federation met him and talked to him about the new born Turkish Federation that is now indipendent, developing and growing up.

Last year the Turkey Team had big international results: the U19 men team, took the gold at the European Championship in Borjomi (Georgia) in May and conquered the title of World Champion in Miyoshi (Japan), last October. Last April Dalaman hosted the first national race opened to international teams, so it was an important meeting for the WRF: members from eleven countries were there and met the local Governator. After the national's selections in Tunceli (one month later) the team Turkey joined the WRF Wolrd Championships 2018. 10 members of the Turkish board and 25 athletes flew to Italy and paddled waving proudly their red flag.

Erdoğan was amazed by the international results and the passion that animates young teams through hard trainings and sacrifices, so after this first short meeting he invited them to a official meeting in Ankara.

In September the Rafting crew will be received in the Presidental Palace and they will discuss about new rules of rafting, WRF activities and the Olympic project.

WRF PARARAFTING SPORT CATEGORIES

KIEV, UKRAINE - The WRF Pararafting Commission chaired by Mr. Oleksandr Bakanychev

has published the sport categories for Para Rafting competitions; according to the

International Para Olympic Committee requirements, the Commission composed by Mr. Bakanychev, Mr. Andrey Batalov (https://www.worldraftingfederation.com/para-rafting/13-andrey-batalov), Mr. Makar Sargsyan (https://www.worldraftingfederation.com/para- rafting/14-makar-sargsyan), Mis. Tetiana Kulbaka (https://www.worldraftingfederation.com/para-rafting/15-tetiana-kulbaka) has presented its preliminary findings.

During the WRF 2018 Para Rafting Pre-Worlds in Kiev (4-8 October) the new WRF Para Rafting Programme will be presented by the Commission.

PARA RAFTING CLASSIFICATION PHYSICAL DISABILITY

Amputee Class 1 Class 2 Class 3

A (Only arms can work)

TA (Only arms and torso can work) LTA (Legs, torso, arms can work )

Spinal level impairment Complete
Incomplete

Cerebral Palsy Monoplegia

Diplegia Hemiplegia Quadriplegia Ataxia

Athetosis

INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT

Down Syndrome
Autism spectrum disorders
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Phenylketonuria
Cerebral Palsy with intellectual disability

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Class B1: (a very low visual acuity and/ or no light perception)

Class B2: (a higher visual acuity and/ or a visual field of less than 5 degrees radius)

Class B3: (the least severe visual impairment eligible, the highest visual acuity and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees radius)

HEARING IMPAIRMENT Deaf athletes

Hard of hearing athletes

ARMENIAN MINISTER OF SPORT MET MR. SETO ZAKARYAN

After the World Rafting Championship settled in Italy from 21st to 24th of July the President of the Armenian Rafting Federation and the Rafting.am club met Mr. Levon
Vahradyan, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs.

During the meeting, in the capital Yerevan, Mr. Seto Zakaryan, President of the Armenian Rafting Federation, reported to Mr. Vahradyan the Italian experience of their athletes in Villeneuve and Ivrea. Rafting in Armenia is growing up under the World Rafting Federation, indeed after their National Championship on 11th August and the International Rafting Fest of the next weekend (18th and 19th August) they will discuss the opportunity of organizing a WRF event next year.

WRF World Rafting Italy - New Champions declared!

U23 & JUNIOR WORLD RAFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018: AN INCREDIBLE FIGHT TO CONQUER THE WORLD TITLES

Villeneuve and Ivrea has hosted 40 teams competing in the 3 World Rafting Federation disciplines: downriver, slalom and RX, on the Dora Baltea river. Many surprises in the italian Valle d'Aosta and Piemonte regions led the
young athletes tuned not only about the results.

26th July 2018 - Athletes from 13 nations will remember this WRF Event thanks to the withewater, the adrenaline of the competition and to the international feeling of sharing a passion. This event confirmed the WRF intention to focus on young athletes, working to see them at the Olympics in the future.

After the first two traditional races of Downriver and Slalom the last one was a new spectacular discipline called RX, officially born in order to impress the public. It is composed by 2 parts: the first one is a qualification phase who's times will decide the starting position of the second knock out phase, where the couples fight in a direct elimination. It has been a race full of surprises.

Mix teams
The 2018 WRF's innovation are the mix teams: only in the new entry category RX there are 2 boys and 2 girls on the raft, creating an innovative perspective of team. The U19 mix has

been conquered by the Italian hosts, after them Czech Republic and Turkey. Same nations took the u23 podium, but 1st Turkey, 2nd Italy and 3rd Czech.

Italian hosts won 3 golds in the general ranking. The 4th and last one was taken by the Czech u 23 women team, that beated Italy and Russia with an amazing show of team spirit.

World Rafting Spirit - International teams made by Armenia, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Albania and Serbia closed the races under the flag of wrf, that is working on the Olympic project and hopes to see some of this amazing guys in the future Games.

On the occasion of the World Championships, the WRF launched its TALENT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAMME (TIP) (/documents/rules/wrf-rafting-development- programme-draft/viewdocument), by involving an international team composed of athletes coming from different developing countries (Croatia, Chile, Czech Republic).

Did you miss the live streaming on Planet Canoe? Check it out here

Slalom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38MlDWp1G_c)

RX - Knock out phase (https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=_Dqc2nyRfzE)

A special thanks to: the town of Villeneuve, the department for tourism, sport, commerce and transports of the Regione Autonoma Valle d’Aosta, the Valle d’Aosta regional council, the International Canoe Federation (I.C.F.), the World Rafting Federation (W.R.F.), the Italian Rafting Federation (F.I.Raft), Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Rafting Aventure in Villeneuve and Ivrea canoa club.

At the Ivrea World Champs the energy was supplied by Red Bull (http://energydrink- it.redbull.com/).

DOWNLOAD

Photos (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/csntkhejdubykom/AAA6nethwlTSVlMFuu9BPLlZa? dl=0)

First day of the Worlds in Italy: awesome river!

The first day of official trainings, prior of definitive races, came to an end. The athletes enjoyed the day without rain, which went better as the hours were passing by.

Paraphrasing what the athletes said about the training, the level of the water has risen a little bit because of the rain of yesterday night, but they trained a lot and they are ready to face anything.

Today, are the first races of this World Championship, starting with Downriver in Villeneuve (Aosta) where two groups of athletes, A and B, are going to compete. They are also going to the open ceremony of World Championship on a pair with the ICF awards ceremony.

It's time for a real challenging Slalom in Ivrea!

The second race of these World Championships is over. Today, in Ivrea, the athletes performed in the Slalom race discipline on the Dora Baltea River. 25 teams tested the water that comes from the Mont Blanc.

Yesterday, after the opening ceremony of the World Championships, the teams and the coaches were given a free hour to study the river before going back to the camp in Villeneuve (AO).

Besides memorizing the course of the river very carefully, this morning the athletes had the chance to train before the Slalom race. All the athletes said they had fun and felt a lot of adrenaline thanks to the amazing strength of the river and its rapids.

The gate number nine was probably the hardest one of the course. It was the most technical part that challenged all the athletes. In fact, some rafts got stucked and they were kept in the hole because of the centrifugal force, and were forced to come out of the water.

The teams go back to the camp in Villeneuve in order to rest and get ready for the last day of races.

ICF-WRF World Champs 2018 off to a big start!

07.18.2018, Ivrea - The most important event for the world of rafting is everyday closer: the World Rafting Championships for the categories Junior and U23, which will be held in Italy from 21 to 24 July 2018.

More than 35 teams, for a total of 15 participating countries, will compete on the rapids of the Dora Baltea River firstly in Villeneuve(Aosta) and then in the Canoe Stadium of Ivrea.

The WRF, after reaching a collaboration agreement with the International Canoe Federation (I.C.F), became an official ICF Associate Member and a landmark for rafting worldwide.

The international delegations will arrive in Italy on Friday 20 July. For the occasion, the Rafting Aventure Park in Villeneuve will turn into a village that will host the athletes throughout this important event. On Saturday, it will be possible to follow the official training in the river from 9 am to 12 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm. On Sunday, athletes will finally confront each other in 3 different specialities: Downriver in Villeneuve (AO), RX and Slalom in Ivrea (TO).

At the end of the kermesse, the award ceremony will be held in the suggestive and unique Piazza d’Armi at Forte di Bord. It will be possible to follow the event live on the ICF official channels and on all the WRF social networks. Good luck to all the organizers and to the young athletes.

RX: a new race format (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRdh_lTSPKg&t=75s)

On the occasion of the World Championships, the WRF launched its TALENT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAMME (TIP) (/documents/rules/wrf-rafting-development- programme-draft/viewdocument), by involving some teams composed of athletes coming from different developing countries. Two of these teams will take part in the event.

Supporters of the event are Albino Armani and Enervit. Albino Armani (http://www.albinoarmani.com/) is a big fan of paddle sport and motorbike. Together with his winery, he has been encouraging for a long time many sports initiatives of international relevance. Enervit Sport, (http://www.enervitsport.com/it/home)is a line of products necessary to integrate before and after sport activity.

At the Ivrea World Champs the energy is supplied by Red Bull (http://energydrink- it.redbull.com/).

DOWNLOAD
Event’s schedule (https://www.dropbox.com/s/zpj5z3fye9jic8v/Programme.pdf?dl=0)

Photos (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/csntkhejdubykom/AAA6nethwlTSVlMFuu9BPLlZa? dl=0)

CONTACTS
Italian Rafting federation Press Office
Emilio Martinelli This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

World Rafting Federation Press Office
Carol Navarro This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

WRF Media Department This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Downriver claimed by the Italian teams!

This morning competition was a bit hard because of the river condition. For this reason and the strength of the water, some athletes got to the end of the course exhausted. But Italians were stronger.

Check out the results on the results page //

After this first event, the opening ceremony of this World Championship was celebrated in Ivrea, where the RX and the Slalom competitions are going to take place in the next days.

Danilo Barmaz, the president of the World Rafting Federation, during his speech encouraged all the athletes to perform well and to have fun. Danilo Barmaz: “This is an historical day for Rafting”.

Actions speak louder than words! Welcome to WRF France

The Fédération Française de Canoë-Kayak (FFCK), one of the most important Kayak Federation in the world, has become a Member of the World Rafting Federation. The application shall be ratified by the Executive Board during the next U23 & Junior World Championships in Aosta/Ivrea, Italy.

"The France's membership is a great news for all the WRF movement and provides a great boost to the continued growth of our sport in Europe. All of us know well the importance of the FFCK in the paddle sport community" said Danilo Barmaz, WRF President, "Rafting represents an incredible tool for the development of the active basis of all paddle-sports, from slalom to canoe-polo."

"In France rafting as a team sport is used by schools and companies: the management of the group dynamics and the team balance, whether it aims at achieving sport or social goals, is the way to co-opt into water experience an important number of people from the educational and labour sector: the FFCK with its structures will play a key role in the development of rafting as tool of inclusion and overcoming differences" said Andrea Gatti, WRF Coordinator of the Educational Projects Commission.