AURONZO AND THE KAYAK POST COVID-19 EMERGENCY - Kayak races confirmed

Press Release By Venice Canoe & Dragon Boat asd

AURONZO AND THE KAYAK POST COVID-19 EMERGENCY

Kayak races confirmed: regional championships at end of August and 40^th Anniversary edition at end of September.

The connection between the city of Auronzo di Cadore and kayaking races will be once again confirmed for 2020. Thanks to some great team work, the main event of the year will be held on the 26^th and 27^th of September - three months after its original planned date of end of June prior to the Covid-19 emergency. A general trial will be held on Sunday 23^rd August when the Lake of Santa Caterina will be host to the Regional Championships of 1000mt for all categories and 2000mt for the Youth categories (10-14 years).

“It hasn’t been easy to find solutions” – said the organiser Andrea Bedin – “because the uncertainties were, and still are many. The post Covid emergency obliges us to keep in mind all the government and regional procedures and adapt them to fit the organisation of the events of our sporting discipline.  In canoeing we have the advantage of holding the activity outdoors and mainly in single boats. The athlete’s training has begun once again and in the same way in which they were left at the end of February with the difference that we are now in full season.

It will not be easy to realise the 40^th edition of the International race: with the Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation (FICK) we established a dynamic path which will permit the event to be classified as regional-national-international, adapting to the situations as they arise (opening of regional-national-international borders, possibility of travelling, social distancing, protection etc) and the trend of the virus. Despite this, the desire of Venice Canoe & Dragon Boat, the technical organiser of the event, and the Administration of Auronzo di Cadore is to provide a strong signal to the local territory and to the canoeing community; the Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation, the Veneto Region, the Province of Belluno and the Consorzio DMO Dolomiti are of the same opinion. Finally, by repeating last year’s Regional Championships, especially aimed at the younger athletes, it is a great opportunity to allow these young people to experience the lake, especially in lieu of the important events such as the 2023 ICF World Junior and U23 Championships where the current “fourteen-year-olds” could be the main players in the Junior category.  It is not by chance, and always in view of promoting the territory and in giving possibility of holding training sessions in Auronzo, the main course structure will be put in place by the end of the month” – concludes Mr Bedin.

Comment by the Mayor of Auronzo di Cadore, Mrs Tatiana Pais Becher

Road to #Auronzo2023 – The Administration of the Municipality of Auronzo di Cadore expresses satisfaction for being able to confirm the organisation of the 40th edition of the international canoe competition, an event that has as its location an exceptional race venue such as the Lake of Santa Caterina, a spectacular body of water surrounded by the most beautiful peaks of the Dolomites and from whose waters it is possible to admire in all their majesty the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, symbol of the Dolomites World Heritage Site. We cannot forget the long connection between the Val D’Ansei, town of the three lakes of Santa Caterina, Misurina and Antorno, and the canoe and dragon boat races which have become an inevitable summer event, much anticipated by the tour operators and the local population.

Following the awarding of the 2023 ICF World Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint Championships, the Administration believed that the best way to consolidate the image of Lake Santa Caterina in the world canoeing stage was to immediately begin work on renewing and preparing the edges of the lake with important interventions, financed by the Municipality and the Veneto Region, and due for completion by July.

The close synergy between the Municipality of Auronzo di Cadore as the protagonist, Venice Canoe & Dragon Boat asd and the sports manager Andrea Bedin has as a common aim to create an approach path leading up to the World Championships 2023, and involving local associations such as ASD Canoe Kayak Auronzo Misurina, and the Consorzio Turistico Tre Cime, and with the essential support from the Italian Canoe Kayak Federation, the FICK Veneto Regional Committee, the Province of Belluno together with the DMO Dolomiti and the Veneto Region.

Comment by the President of the FICK Veneto Regional Committee, Mr Bruno Panziera

On Auronzo’s lake, technique and heart come together: on one hand the proved organisational capabilities of Venice Canoe and Dragon Boat, on the other the commitment and firm will of a Municipal Administration increasingly determined to take the road of sport as a way of promoting and enhancing its territory. The Veneto Regional Committee of the Italian Kayak Federation (FICK) cannot but appreciate the renewed efforts of all those who, with the Mayor Tatiana Pais Becher in the lead, who are working in these difficult moments conditioned by a health emergency which still requires absolute compliance with the regulations. An effort of great moral significance too, which will culminate with the 40^th edition of the International Race: a goal which rewards the perseverance and the professionalism that have “paddled” together for many years on Lake Santa Caterina.

Comment by the National President of the Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation (FICK) Mr Luciano Buonfiglio

“It is with great pleasure that we greet the possible resumption of the activity, albeit with all the due cautions and limitations following the Coronavirus emergency. The Federation has drawn up a detailed protocol for the conduct of the competitions which will allow our clubs to restart the organisational machine”, explains the President of the Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation, Mr Luciano Buonfiglio. “It will be an ulterior challenge which the Federation and the Organising Committee, together with the invaluable support of the local Administrations – the Municipality of Auronzo di Cadore in front line – to know how to insert events that are very important back into the sporting calendar. In particular, it will be a real pleasure to hold the 40^th edition of the International Race, as it is crucial for the entire movement to be able to live what is a great sporting and emotional experience of the CanoaGiovani (youth). On the Lake of Santa Caterina we have always demonstrated a great organisational ability, hosting with success the 2018 European Junior and U23 Championships and obtaining the 2023 World Championships for the same categories. We are facing a situation without precedence which has put us in front of some difficult decisions, but I am sure that we will know how to bring out the best with the usual determination and professionalism.”

Comment by the Councillor for Sport of the Veneto Region, Mr Cristiano Corazzari

The Veneto is a Region with a high sporting vocation. A statement that is confirmed by our athletes, who regularly enter the Olympic medal tables, by our champions, who excel in the competitions of all sports, by our facilities, which can boast high quality standards, and by our locations, such as Auronzo di Cadore, capable of hosting and organising national and international level sports events like the canoeing competitions that will take place in September 2020.

The conformation of the Veneto lends itself to the practice of any sports activity, favouring its development and diffusion in a natural way. The combination of Auronzo di Cadore and canoeing competitions, as well as being an opportunity to promote what is a natural stage, is an occasion to restart the sports sector following the coronavirus emergency. A chance to safely start again and which I am certain will contribute towards re-establishing those relationships which were so brusquely interrupted.

Comment by the President of the Province of Belluno, Mr Roberto Padrin

“The restart following Covid surely passes through tourism.  And sport for our territory is a motor of unlimited tourism. We are very satisfied that this year Auronzo and the Lake of Santa Caterina will once again be host to important canoe races. The promotion of the territory that events of this kind manage to ensure is fundamental not only for Auronzo, but for the entire Bellunese mountain area and for our province.”

Comment by the Administrator of the Consorzio DMO Dolomiti Mrs Alessandra Magagnin

The Province of Belluno is always at the forefront. Once again the canoe has chosen the Veneto Dolomites. The magnificent lakes, the endless forests and the domineering peaks, the sweet valleys and the characteristic towns will once more be the frame which surrounds these national events. The protagonists will once again be the Cadore valleys, where the famous painter Titian was born, and where Carducci felt at home. The Mountains of Venice is a claim which unites us even more with the lagoon city. It is Venice, with its international vocation, which today has become the gateway to the Dolomites, opening our territory to a more global tourism, which is always searching for more unique and spectacular locations such as that which surrounds us. These events are surely an optimum preparation for the World Canoeing Championships to be held in Auronzo in 2023. We look forward to seeing you at these magnificent races, in these dreamlike surroundings which is the Lake of Santa Caterina in Auronzo di Cadore.

For more information on the events and the kayak activities in Auronzo di Cadore, other than the local club Canoa Kayak Auronzo Misurina, you can contact Venice Canoe & Dragon Boat www.venicecanoe.com and the organising committee of the events www.auronzocanoe.com email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. tel. 334-9566321 and visit the Facebook and Instagram pages @venciecanoe #auronzocanoe

Photos attached, photographer @MatteoBertolin (please mention in case of publication).