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MS Channel: Delivering Live Streaming Coverage of the WRF World Rafting Championships 2023 check out all the links and stay connected!

World Rafting Championship Valtellina - Downriver - June 28th 4.00 pm:

https://msplus.mediasportgroup.tv/videos/world-rafting-championship-valtellina-downriver-28-giugno-ore-16-30

World Rafting Championship Valtellina - Slalom 1° Run - June 29th 12.30 pm

https://msplus.mediasportgroup.tv/videos/world-rafting-championship-valtellina-slalom-1-run-29-giugno-ore-13-00

World Rafting Championship Valtellina - Slalom 2° Run - June 29th 4.00 pm

https://msplus.mediasportgroup.tv/videos/world-rafting-championship-valtellina-slalom-2-run-29-giugno-ore-17-00

World Rafting Championship Valtellina - RX Mix - June 30th 9.30 pm

https://msplus.mediasportgroup.tv/videos/world-rafting-championship-valtellina-knockout-mixed-30-gigno-ore-9-30

World Rafting Championship Valtellina - RX Knockout Phase round of 16 - June 30th 4.30 pm

https://msplus.mediasportgroup.tv/videos/world-rafting-championship-valtellina-rx-16-29-giugno-ore-13-00

World Rafting Championship Valtellina - RX Knockout Phase round of 8 - June 30th 4.30 pm

https://msplus.mediasportgroup.tv/videos/world-rafting-championship-valtellina-rx-8-30-giugno-ore-16-00

World Rafting Championship Valtellina - RX QF-SF-FINALS - June 30th 8.30 pm

https://msplus.mediasportgroup.tv/videos/world-rafting-championship-valtellina-rx-qf-sf-finals-30-giugno-ore-21-00

Warming up the rapids: first day at the World Champs week

We are in the middle of the Italian Alps, on the III class rapids of Adda river, that flows through the Lombardy region in northern Italy. It originates from the Alps near the border of Switzerland and runs eastward for approximately 313 kilometres before emptying into the Po river. During its course it flows through Valtellina, before creating the stunning Como Lake, and in this green valley the biggest event of the rafting year is starting today.

Boffetto, Sondrio province, North Italy - 327 above the sea level

Here the copious snowfalls of the past winter are guaranteeing a great water flow of 35/40 cubics, that will be run by 400 athletes from all over the world, during the week from 26th June to 2nd July. The stakes are high: the title of World Champions.

30 nations answered the call and arrived in Boffetto (Comune Piateda), that already hosted several international canoeing competitions, culminating in the 2014 World Canoeing Championship.

This time the boats are bigger with Aquadesign race rafts, and the numbers too. Yesterday the accreditation welcommed many new countries that joined our movement and already appreciated the lines during the first day of official training this afternoon.

Today, after the last chance to find the fastest line during the official training, the official ceremony will officially open the champs: we invite all the athletes to participate in Sondrio city in the historical center, 20.00 local time.

Buona settimana, enjoy the race week rafters!

Setting the stage: Press Conference of the Senior World Champs 2023

Today the Sala Consiglio dell’Amministrazione provinciale di Sondrio hosted the Press Conference for the World Rafting Championship that will take place from 26th June to 2nd July in Valtellina, on the Adda river rapids.

Boffetto, the III+ Adda section, is ready to welcome the worldwide event, but it's not the first time that athletes from all over the world paddle in its rapids. We remember the European Canoeing Championship in 2008 and 2009, the World Cup in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and the World Championship in 2014.

The Province President Davide Menegola opened the meeting after the online greetings of BIM Adda President, FICK President Luciano Buonfiglio, CONI President Giovanni Malagó and Sport e Salute President Vito Cozzoli.

Mr Menegola expressed satisfaction about the local cohesion that is necessary not only for the organisation of a successful event, but also to preserve the territory managing tourism in an active way.
Simone Luca Marchesini, Mayor of Piateda, and the Province Assessors were present and are happy to promote an event that that raises awareness about the importance to preserve the river and the potential of rafting in that direction.

The biggest event of the year is sanctioned by World Rafting Federation and organised by Federazione Italian Rafting (FIRaft) and Adda Viva Indomita Valtellina RIver.

FIRaft President Benedetto Del Zoppo renews the invitation to the opening ceremony on the night of 27th June: the 400 athletes from 33 nations will be presented in Piazza Garibaldi, Sondrio.

WRF President Danilo Barmaz is happy to see a great participation in the Mix (26) and Para-Rafting (6) category, apart from the 44 men teams and 22 women teams.
For the first time WRF will welcome teams directly from Africa: in 2021 France saw the Moroccoan team (living in France) competing for the world title. This time Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Uganda will display men teams representing a great delegation from the African continent.

Also, for each athlete participating one tree will grow in Uganda, to prevent the deforestaion that is a concrete threat to the nowadays society, thanks to the collaboration with One Tree Planted.

Furthermore Peace and Sport will be present and the athletes will raise its symbol: as reference to the yellow and the red card in the sporting world, the #WhiteCard invites not to punish but to promote peace.

India and Japan men teams are already arrived and in these days are discovering the Boffetto rapids, where the Slalom and RX will take place. They are waiting for you!

The WRC breaks the record! A new milestone for World Rafting

The World Championships is always been one of the most exciting events in the world of rafting. It is a moment of great emotion, in which the best athletes of each nation compete for glory and fame. But the World Championship isn't just a competition, it's also an opportunity to get to know new countries, teams and friends.

With each edition of the World Championship, new nations join the World Rafting Family, bringing with them new teams. This makes the race even more interesting and challenging, because every event becomes an opportunity to discover new tactics and new styles.

This year at the WRC 2023 we are expecting over 30 nations on the river Adda, in Valtellina (Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, North Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Peru, Slovenia, Serbia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela).

As with every World Championship, there are teams that have been mainstays in the movement for decades, and then there are teams that are making their first debut. The presence of both old and new teams will creating opportunities for upsets and surprises. We are very happy to welcome you all in this unique atmosphere of solidarity and friendship, where differences dissolve in the face of passion for the river.

Rafting is not just a sport but an opportunity to bring people together and we wish good luck everyone!

@worldrafting

Changing the world one tree at a time with One Tree Planted!

The power of sport in promoting environmental sustainability and forest conservation is undoubtedly enormous. In recent years, more and more athletes, teams and sports organizations have joined the cause of OneTreePlanted, a non-profit organization dedicated to planting trees around the world to restore forests, protect wildlife and fight climate change.

Athletes' commitment to environmental sustainability is nothing new, but OneTreePlanted has been able to make the most of this potential. The organization has created an online platform that allows athletes and sports enthusiasts to support the cause of reforestation through donations, challenges and crowdfunding campaigns. Many professional athletes have already shown their support for OneTreePlanted, using their visibility to raise awareness of deforestation and the need for action to protect forests.

But it's not just professional athletes who support OneTreePlanted. Sports teams and organizations of all levels are also embracing the cause of reforestation. The World Rafting Federation on the occasion of the WRF World Rafting Championships 2023, as for the previous one in 2021, is honored to support the reforestation project - this time in Uganda - by planting 1 tree for every athlete participant in the event.

We now wanna direct to every athlete, we have chance through the sport we love to raise awareness of the need to protect forests and take action against climate change. Athletes, teams and sports fans can all do their part to support this cause, helping to create a more sustainable future for all.

Check out the website for more: https://onetreeplanted.org/

@worldrafting

Meet the organizers of the WRC 2023

THE EVENT

Over 30 countries and a total of 400 of the best athletes from around the world will compete to the last paddle stroke on the rapids of the river Adda in the WRF Senior World Rafting Championships, the world's number-one rafting event.

The World Rafting Federation (WRF) has entrusted the 2023 World Championships to the Federazione Italiana Rafting (FIRAFT).The 2023 World Championships are an opportunity to experience the thrill of the sport and discover a magnificent natural area with a wealth of landscapes, culture, food and wine.

THE EVENT ORGANISER

The event organiser is ADDA VIVA INDOMITA VALTELLINA RIVER, the number-one rafting and outdoor centre in LOMBARDY.

Officially and legally recognised by the Italian rafting federation FIRAFT and affiliated to F.I.C.K, the Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation, Adda Viva Indomita Valtellina River counts among its ranks highly qualified canoe instructors and rafting guides. A large number of young and very young Indomita members have obtained excellent results in regional and national competitions. Over 30 countries and a total of 400 of the best athletes from around the world will compete to the last paddle stroke on the rapids of the river Adda in the WRF Senior World Rafting Championships, the world's number-one rafting event.

Athletes, enthusiasts, sports lovers and tourists will enliven the banks of the ADDA, the scene of a week of competitions and numerous initiatives run by the organising committee.

THE EVENT VENUES

At 313 km, the Adda is Italy's fourth longest river.

It rises in the Rhaetian Alps at 2,237 metres above sea level in the Alpisella valley on the southern slope of Monte del Ferro, within the Stelvio National Park, which adjoins the Fraele valley with the artificial lakes of Cancano and San Giacomo. In Valtellina the Adda runs for some 125 km, and is enlarged by a number of tributaries: the Roasco, the Poschiavino, the Mallero and the Masino. The river finally arrives at Lake Como.

SPONSORS

The RAFTING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS are the result of a challenge accepted by ADDA VIVA INDOMITA VALTELLINA RIVER with the support of a number of public and private sponsors. It is thanks to them that the ADDA and its magnificent area are once again in the spotlight.

Energy for ideas with: Energy for sport with: Energy for culture with: Energy for collaboration with: Energy for flavour with:

Countdown to the WRF World Rafting Championships 2023

The most awaited appointment for rafting and extreme sport lovers is almost there: the WRF World Rafting Championships 2023, organized this time by the Italian Rafting Federation and the Adda Viva Indomita Valtellina River in Valtellina, in the heart of the beautiful Italian Alps.

This year the competition will see about 450 athletes of the best rafting teams from all over the world, to compete for the title of ‘’World Champion’’. The event will be held in Valtellina, Lombardy, in northern Italy - on the waves of the river Adda where many canoeing events of continental and worldwide interest have been organized in the past including the 2014 ICF World Canoeing Championships.

The competitions will take place from 26th June to 2nd July in different specialties, including the Downriver, the Slalom, and RX: the specialty in which two teams will compete simultaneously in the same section of the river to win the victory. The Rafting World Championship is an exciting and spectacular event that attracts many fans of this extreme sport. But don’t worry if you cannot reach Italy because all the competitions will be followed live and broadcasted online on the official channels of the World Rafting Federation (@worldrafting) as far as all the media, contents and results.

So what’s your bet? Which flag will top the podium of the Champion this year? At the moment more than 30 nations are already registered, from all over the globe (Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia,Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, North Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Peru, Slovenia, Serbia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela).

The challenges of rafting, together with the natural beauty of the places where the competitions take place, will once again make this appointment a unique experience for anyone who loves adventure and adrenaline. An important occasion for the World Federation to promote ecotourism and the protection of the environment through young people and sport: re-proposing a partnership with OneTreePlanted - a movement that works for reforestation worldwide - for each athlete participating in the worlds in fact a tree will be planted in Uganda, country with one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world.

@worldrafting

Check out the digital media-tool-kit of the WRC 2023!

Tic tac! The Worlds are just over a month away and we are happy to present the Media-Tool-Kit of the event.

The WRF World Rafting Championships 2023 will be the biggest rafting event in history, bringing together for the first time more than 30 Nations. Participants and partners are encouraged to help promote as well as celebrate the event through the use of this digital toolkit which has been developed to help you maximise the opportunity through a range of assets and ready-to-use content.

MEDIA-TOOL-KIT

@worldrafting

This may join the Rafting Course in collaboration with FFCK and FIRaft

We are thrilled to announce that we are offering two free spots for a rafting course in Villeneuve, Aosta, Italy. The course will take place from May 21st to May 27th, 2023. It’s organised by CRFCK - FFCK (Centre régional de formation au canoë-kayak - FFCK) and FIRaft (Italian Rafting Federation).

We are inviting applications from individuals who are passionate about adventure sports, particularly rafting, and meet the following requirements:
* Must be 18 years or older
* Must not hold French or Italian citizenship
* must not hold FIRaft or FFCK membership
* Must be a member of a World Rafting Federation (WRF) affiliated organization
* Must have a basic understanding of English
* Must be physically fit and comfortable swimming in moving water
* Must be willing to participate in all aspects of the course, including safety briefings and equipment checks.

The course provides a unique opportunity to learn from experienced instructors and to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery of Aosta. We are also pleased to offer the opportunity to camp for free during the course. Participants will be responsible for bringing their own camping equipment.

To apply for the course, please send a letter explaining why you would like to participate in the course to our email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by May 10th, 2023.

World Rafting looks forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck with your application!