Masters Canoe Marathon Worlds 2026: Fisher wins by 0.65 s, Hartley defends her title
- Published
- 2026-10-19T21:21:20+00:00
- Author
- PaddleStats
Full competition results: ICF Masters Canoe Marathon World Championships - Gualeguaychu
Hugh Fisher, who won Olympic K2 1000 m gold at Los Angeles 1984, claimed the men’s K1 70–74 title by just 0.65 seconds on the opening day of the ICF Masters Canoe Marathon World Championships in Gualeguaychú, Argentina. Bridgitte Hartley won an equally tight contest in the women’s K1 40–44, finishing 1.09 seconds clear. The hosts collected 20 of the 39 medals in events with published results.
Thirteen age-group events were decided on the Gualeguaychú River in Entre Ríos on Monday 19 October: 12 in K1 and one in C1. When this report was checked, the organiser had not published results for four other K1 races — the men’s 50–54 and women’s 45–49, 50–54 and 60–64. Tuesday’s programme features K2, C2 and mixed K2 racing.
Combined WCH and World Cup tally: four golds each for Argentina and South Africa
This combined tally covers the 13 events with confirmed results: six designated World Championships (WCH) and seven designated World Cup (WCup) in the organiser’s protocols. It is not a medal table restricted to world championship events.
| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 4 | 7 | 9 | 20 |
| South Africa | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Australia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Denmark | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Canada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Czechia and Chile also won one gold each, while Spain and Slovakia each took a silver and the United States a bronze. Argentina swept the podium in the men’s K1 40–44 and 45–49, and its nine bronze medals alone exceeded every other nation’s total. South Africa matched the hosts’ four golds despite having just 15 athletes on the start lists for the two-day masters competition, compared with Argentina’s 240. Its winners were Graham Monteith, Allison Hay, Clinton Cook and Hartley.
Five of the 13 races came down to less than two seconds after more than an hour on the water. South Africa won gold or silver in all five. At the other extreme, Luis Tucci won the men’s 75–79 race by 27 minutes and 16.19 seconds ahead of Antonio Cruzado.
Argentina reached the podium in 10 of the 13 events, including its two clean sweeps. The only podiums without a home paddler were the men’s K1 65–69 and 70–74 and the women’s K1 65–69, where the medals were shared between South Africa, Australia, Denmark and Canada.
The hosts’ four golds came in the men’s K1 40–44, 45–49, 55–59 and 75–79. Their silver medallists included experienced senior internationals Daniel Dal Bo and Cecilia Collueque, as well as local paddler Roberto Palacios, a veteran of numerous World Championships.
South Africa’s combined haul was seven medals, including four golds. All four wins came by margins of less than two seconds.
Hugh Fisher, 42 years after Los Angeles
Hugh Fisher was born on 1 October 1955. At Los Angeles 1984, he won K2 1000 m gold and K2 500 m bronze with Alwyn Morris. He also competed at Montreal 1976 and Seoul 1988. His world championship medals came in the K2 1000 m in 1982, when he took silver, and the K2 500 m in 1983, when he won bronze. He later became a doctor.
Fisher had to fight all the way to the line in Gualeguaychú. He completed the course of four full laps and one short lap, with no portages, in 75:31.87. South Africa’s Theo Smit finished just 0.65 seconds behind in 75:32.52 — the closest finish in the completed men’s races. Chris Visser took bronze in 81:14.15, just under six minutes behind Fisher, with the United States’ Karoly Magda fourth, a further 3.05 seconds back.
The 70–74 and 65–69 categories raced over the same course. Fisher’s 75:31.87 was faster than all but four times in the younger category, placing him between John Young (74:38.63) and Marcelo Cravero (76:51.85) in a comparison of the results. The races were held separately, so this is a comparison of times rather than a combined classification.
Fisher has two more races on Tuesday. He will partner Sweden’s Johan Dahl in the men’s K2 65–69, where their opponents include the South African gold and silver medallists from Monday’s K1 65–69 race. He then joins Australia’s Margaret Bohm, the women’s K1 65–69 silver medallist, in the mixed K2 65+.
Nigel Briggs was also on the 70–74 start list but did not start on Monday. In 2025 the South African completed his 50th Dusi Canoe Marathon — only the third paddler to do so.
Hartley wins her age group for a third straight year
Bridgitte Hartley won Olympic K1 500 m bronze at London 2012, competed at three Olympic Games and took three sprint world championship bronze medals. She now chairs the ICF Athletes’ Committee and serves on the federation’s Board.
Hartley arrived in Argentina having won the women’s K1 40–44 at the previous two editions of the masters event, in Metković in 2024 and Győr in 2025. She extended that winning run, but only just, completing four full laps and one short lap, with three portages, in 75:20.23. Argentina’s Cecilia Collueque finished 1.09 seconds behind in 75:21.32, while Valeria Cilleruelo took bronze in 87:31.67, more than 12 minutes behind Hartley.
The leading pair were faster than the other women’s age-group winners with confirmed results on the same course. Chile’s Goviana Reyes won the 35–39 race in 83:32.16, while Denmark’s Jeanette Knudsen won the 55–59 race in 83:30.94 — 8:10.71 slower than Hartley.
Collueque has another medal opportunity on Tuesday, when she partners Julian Alganaras, the men’s K1 40–44 silver medallist, in the mixed K2 35–44.
Close finishes and the fastest times
Five races were decided by less than two seconds. The table lists them by margin.
| Category | Winner | Time | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K1 women 65–69 | Allison Hay (RSA) | 63:30.72 | Margaret Bohm (AUS) | 0.56 s |
| K1 men 70–74 | Hugh Fisher (CAN) | 75:31.87 | Theo Smit (RSA) | 0.65 s |
| K1 women 40–44 | Bridgitte Hartley (RSA) | 75:20.23 | Cecilia Collueque (ARG) | 1.09 s |
| K1 men 65–69 | Graham Monteith (RSA) | 73:53.69 | Colin Simpkins (RSA) | 1.75 s |
| K1 men 35–39 | Clinton Cook (RSA) | 83:45.55 | Daniel Dal Bo (ARG) | 1.80 s |
Hay's win over Bohm was the narrowest of all: 63:30.72 against 63:31.28. In the men's 65–69 race Monteith, who was also the 2024 world champion in this age group, beat his compatriot Colin Simpkins by 1.75 seconds. Simpkins is the secretary-general of PaddleSportSA, South Africa’s paddlesport federation. David Berglund of Australia took bronze 43.74 seconds behind Monteith.
All men’s K1 categories from 35–39 to 60–64 were scheduled to race over five full laps and one short lap, with four portages. Among the published results, the fastest time came from Rodrigo Caffa in the 45–49 category, rather than the youngest age group. He won in 83:08.42, 37.13 seconds faster than Cook’s winning time in the 35–39 race. Caffa finished 8.01 seconds ahead of Ivan Mansbach and 1:29.91 clear of Nestor Pinta. Czechia’s Martin Kolanda, a K2 marathon world silver medallist in 2001, placed 13th in 91:07.44.
The 40–44 race produced the closer of Argentina’s two podium sweeps. Fernando Percaz won in 85:30.13, 2.31 seconds ahead of Alganaras, with Eduardo Suarez third in 85:44.77. France’s Maxime Beaumont, the Rio 2016 Olympic K1 200 m silver medallist, finished fourth in 87:37.04, missing the podium by 1:52.27.
Daniel Dal Bo, world silver medallist in K1 5000 m in 2013 and an Olympian in Rio 2016, came closest among the men to giving Argentina another title. He finished the 35–39 race 1.80 seconds behind Cook.
Three other winners finished several minutes clear. Martin Paganotto took the men’s K1 55–59 title by 2:54.88 ahead of Slovakia’s Peter Soldan. Australia’s Brett Greenwood won the 60–64 race by 4:50.71 over Omar Linares. In the only C1 event with published results, Czechia’s Vojtěch Mareš won the men’s 35–39 race in 58:09.78, finishing 2:38.84 ahead of local paddler Roberto Palacios.
Tuesday’s programme: doubles take centre stage
The programme for Tuesday 20 October, the second day of the masters competition, features 19 doubles races: K2 for men and women, C2 men and mixed K2 in four age groups. Several pairings stand out on the start lists. All times below are local to Gualeguaychú:
- K2 men 65–69 (09:00): Monteith and Simpkins, first and second in K1, race together for South Africa. Fisher partners Dahl in a mixed-nation crew.
- K2 men 40–44 (13:00): Beaumont races with Mikael Ortu for France.
- Mixed K2 35–44 (16:00): Beaumont and Virginie Bayle face Alganaras and Collueque, Caffa and Magdalena Garro, and the father-and-daughter crew of Martin Maslein and Micaela Maslein.
- Mixed K2 65-plus (16:10): Fisher and Bohm against Hay and Simpkins — two of Monday’s winners in opposing boats.
Garro and Micaela Maslein also race the women's K2 35–39 together. Both are part of Argentina's elite team for the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships, which follow on the same course from 21 to 25 October with paracanoe, junior, under-23 and senior races, including the short-race heats and finals on 22 October.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the K1 men's 70–74 title at the 2026 Masters Canoe Marathon Worlds?
Hugh Fisher of Canada won in 75:31.87, 0.65 seconds ahead of South Africa's Theo Smit. Chris Visser (South Africa) took bronze in 81:14.15. Fisher is the 1984 Olympic champion in K2 1000 m.
Did Bridgitte Hartley win her age group again?
Yes. Hartley won the K1 women's 40–44 race in 75:20.23, 1.09 seconds ahead of Argentina's Cecilia Collueque. She had won the same category in Metković in 2024 and Győr in 2025.
Which country won the most medals on day one?
Across the WCH and World Cup events combined, Argentina led with 20 medals: four gold, seven silver and nine bronze. South Africa also won four golds, finishing with seven medals in total. Argentina swept the podium in men's K1 40–44 and 45–49.
What was the fastest men’s K1 time over five full laps and one short lap?
Among confirmed results, Rodrigo Caffa's 83:08.42 in the 45–49 race. All men’s K1 categories from 35–39 to 60–64 were scheduled to use the same course of five full laps and one short lap, with four portages, and Caffa’s time was 37.13 seconds faster than that of the 35–39 winner, Clinton Cook.
How did Maxime Beaumont do in his first masters race in Gualeguaychú?
The Rio 2016 Olympic K1 200 m silver medallist finished fourth in the K1 men's 40–44 race in 87:37.04, 1:52.27 behind bronze medallist Eduardo Suarez. He races K2 and mixed K2 on Tuesday.
Which was the closest race of the day?
The K1 women's 65–69, won by South Africa's Allison Hay in 63:30.72, 0.56 seconds ahead of Australia's Margaret Bohm. Fisher's 0.65-second win in the men's 70–74 race was the second closest.
Did the youngest men’s age group produce the fastest time?
No. Among the published results, Caffa’s winning time in the 45–49 race was 37.13 seconds faster than Cook’s in the 35–39 and 2:21.71 faster than Percaz’s in the 40–44. These were separate races, so the comparison does not establish an advantage for one age group over another.
When do the elite Canoe Marathon World Championships start?
On 21 October in Gualeguaychú, with paracanoe races first. Junior, under-23 and senior races run until 25 October.
Five of Monday’s races were decided by less than two seconds, with Hay, Fisher, Hartley, Monteith and Cook taking the wins. Hugh Fisher will be on the water again at 09:00 on Tuesday, and the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships start on the same course on Wednesday, 21 October.