World champions head marathon fields for The World Games debut
Reigning world champions Vanda Kiszli of Hungary and Mads Pedersen of Denmark will lead the charge when canoe marathon makes it’s The World Games debut in Birmingham, Alabama, next month.
The final list of 40 athletes who will compete in Birmingham has been announced, with three-time world champion Kiszli heading the women’s K1 list, and two-time world champion Pedersen the stand-out in the men’s field.
World class competition is guaranteed for marathon’s The World Games debut, with 2018 world champion Andy Birkett selected to represent South Africa, 2021 world championship silver medalist Ivan Alonso representing Spain, and 2019 runner-up Jose Ramalho earning the spot for Portugal.
The field also includes Hungary’s Balint Noe, who inflicted a rare defeat on Pedersen over 5000 metres at the ICF canoe sprint world championships in Copenhagen last year, and the 2019 marathon world championship bronze medalist, Franco Balboa of Argentina.
The women’s K1 field includes 2018 world championships bronze medalist, Eva Barrios of Spain, and 2017 bronze medalist Jenny Egan of Ireland.
2012 Olympic bronze medalist Bridgitte Hartley will compete for South Africa, while reigning world U23 marathon champion, Cathrine Rask, will carry Denmark’s hopes.
Quotas for The World Games marathon competition were allocated at the 2021 ICF world championships, based on the results in the senior men’s and women’s K1 races.
Countries then selected which athletes would represent them in Birmingham. Most federations conducted trials to determine the best athletes to compete.
The canoe marathon competition in Birmingham will consist of a short course and regular marathon men’s and women’s kayak race. Athletes will compete over both distances during the two-day competition, with the short-course events held first.
The full start list for the canoe marathon competition can be found here.
Germany wins gold at the Men's European Fistball Championships in Kaltern and is once again top favorite for Men´s Fistball event at The World Games
With a 4:1 (11:7, 11:6, 9:11, 11:7, 11:7) victory against Austria, the German men's national Fistball team defended its title at the European Championships in Caldaro (ITA) (June 9-12, 2022). For six players from the squad of national coach Olaf Neuenfeld it was the first European Championship title. Almost 2,000 spectators watched the European Fistball Championships.
It was the remake of the World Championship gold medal match of 2019, the winner is again Germany at the European Championships. The team around captain Fabian Sagstetter was able to secure the 15th European Championship title four weeks before The World Games in Birmingham (Alabama/USA) after a hard-fought match. Only in the 3rd set the Austrians could challenge the favorite, the other sets were relatively clear in favor of the reigning World Champion.
Bronze went to Switzerland after a likewise very exciting and contested match. The Italians started strongly in the first set and were able to take a 1:0 lead in sets, but Switzerland was able to turn the match around afterwards and secure the bronze medal thanks to a 4:1 victory.
The Czech Republic managed to beat Belgium 3:1 in the 7th place match, while Denmark secured the 5th place thanks to a 3:1 win against Serbia.
Germany - Austria 4:1 (11:7, 11:6, 9:11, 11:7, 11:7)
Premier Lacrosse League Powered By Ticketmaster Announces Partnership With The World Games
The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster has announced a partnership with The World Games 2022 as part of ongoing efforts by the PLL to support lacrosse as a full membership sport within the IOC, and its broader efforts for official inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“The next few years will be pivotal to lacrosse’s international growth strategy. Critical to its success are partnerships, and we’re proud to build with The World Games to amplify lacrosse in Birmingham this July,” said Co-Founder and President Paul Rabil. “More than a dozen PLL athletes will be representing their nations during our All-Star break.”
Lacrosse at The World Games 2022 will feature Lacrosse Sixes, a faster-paced format of lacrosse. Each team will have six players on the field instead of the traditional 10; Sixes is played on a 70-by-36 meter field with a 30-second shot clock.
National teams scheduled to compete in men’s lacrosse at TWG 2022 represent Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, United States, and Haudenosaunee.
“Under Paul Rabil’s innovative leadership, The Premier Lacrosse League is one of the fastest rising professional sports leagues in the world,” said TWG2022 CEO Nick Sellers. “The World Games 2022 will showcase the best lacrosse players in the world – many of whom are active players in the PLL. This will be a huge platform for lacrosse in front of the International Olympic Committee.”
In July 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Membership voted to grant full recognition to the international federation for lacrosse.
For more information on the upcoming PLL season, visit www.premierlacrosseleague.com/schedule.
For more information about lacrosse at TWG 2022, including the schedule of competitions, visit www.twg2022.com/sports/lacrosse.
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association, organised with the support of the International Olympic Committee. The 11th edition of The World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 7-17 July 2022. 3,600 athletes from 34 sports and over 100 countries will take part in The World Games.
