Nouria Newman | Sportscene
Along with Pau-Pyrenees Urban Community President, Martine Lignère-Cassou, and President of the French Canoe Federation Vincent Blanchet, Tony Estanguet presented the French candidature for the 2017 ICF World Championships to the ICF board in Glasgow. As a native of Pau, as a former Olympic athlete and as the Executive Director of the Pau 2017 bid Committee, the presentation of this campaign was very close to Tony’s heart. On Saturday March 16th, the ICF board voted on the Pau double World Championship application.
Believing that all canoe disciplines share the same passion and inspired by the 1987 Slalom & Wildwater World Championships in Bourg St Maurice, the bid committee wanted to reunite both disciplines for the 2017 World Championships. This event will bring together 500 world class athletes to race against each other for a 5 day period, 20 world champion titles will be contested.
More than a great competition, this event will be a cultural hotpot in the heart of the Pau-Pyrenees urban community. During the 2017 Canoe World Championships, most delegations, spectators, ITOs, VIPs from all over the world will be staying in the town centre. It will give Pau and its inhabitants the opportunity to fully participate in the canoeing event, as well as giving international visitors the opportunity to discover local customs. Slalom and Wildwater paddlers will also get to know each other, share their stories and their passion. Various side events, such as Freestyle and kayak polo demonstrations, and the opportunity for everyone to try canoeing out, will be organised.
Pau 2017 also aims to promote canoeing in the best possible way. Some major media outlets such as France Television, Eurosport and L’Équipe already support the event.
It is an ambitious project. You may think that having a double World Championship in both Slalom and Wildwater is a step backwards, and you are right, we are back in 1987, but the Pau 2017 project is also a celebration of canoeing. With more athletes, more spectators, and wider media coverage, this project is pushing canoeing events to the next level!
This article originally appeared at sport24.com (avec Le Figaro): www.sport24.com/autres-sports/actualites/pari-gagne-pour-estanguet-622612
