Masters Canoe Marathon Worlds 2026 recap: Caffa, Noe and Greenwood win three golds each, Fisher two at 71
- Published
- 2026-10-21T09:49:15+00:00
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- PaddleStats
Full competition results: ICF Masters Canoe Marathon World Championships - Gualeguaychu
The 2026 ICF Masters Canoe Marathon World Championships in Gualeguaychú ended on Tuesday 20 October with three paddlers claiming three gold medals each: Rodrigo Caffa, Griselda Noe and Brett Greenwood. Hosts Argentina won 15 of the 34 races, and 71-year-old Olympic champion Hugh Fisher left with two gold medals and a bronze.
Paddlers raced on the Gualeguaychú River over two days in age groups ranging from 35–39 to 75–79. Monday featured the K1 and C1 singles, followed on Tuesday by men’s and women’s K2 and men’s C2. Four mixed K2 races, with one woman and one man in each boat, brought the competition to a close. The singles results are covered in more detail in our day-one report.
Combined medal tally: Argentina win 15 of 34 races
This tally combines all 34 races: nine designated WCH and 25 designated World Cup in the organiser’s results. Three gold medals therefore do not necessarily mean three world championship titles. The table shows the five leading nations.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 15 | 15 | 20 | 50 |
| 2 | South Africa | 4 | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| 3 | Australia | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 4 | Czech Republic | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Denmark | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Each boat counts as one medal. Crews representing two different nations are counted separately, with their medals attributed to neither country. Those international pairings won four golds, four silvers and one bronze. Among them are Fisher’s mixed K2 gold with Australia's Margaret Bohm and K2 gold for Tomáš Ježek with Canada's Vadim Lawrence.
Argentina had by far the largest team, accounting for 328 entries — more than two-thirds of the field. The men’s K1 40–44 had 41 entries, 35 of them Argentine, while the hosts also provided 35 of the 43 entries in K1 45–49. Argentina swept the podium in seven races. South Africa had 21 entries, with three of its four golds coming in women’s events or the oldest men’s age groups. Every one of its four golds came on Monday: Graham Monteith in men’s K1 65–69, Allison Hay in women’s K1 65–69, Clinton Cook in men’s K1 35–39 and Bridgitte Hartley in women’s K1 40–44.
Winners of all 34 races
| Race | Winner(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|
| K1 M 35–39 | Clinton Cook (RSA) | 1:23:45.55 |
| K1 M 40–44 | Fernando Percaz (ARG) | 1:25:30.13 |
| K1 M 45–49 | Rodrigo Caffa (ARG) | 1:23:08.42 |
| K1 M 50–54 | Tomáš Ježek (CZE) | 1:27:38.26 |
| K1 M 55–59 | Martin Paganotto (ARG) | 1:29:09.39 |
| K1 M 60–64 | Brett Greenwood (AUS) | 1:28:05.88 |
| K1 M 65–69 | Graham Monteith (RSA) | 1:13:53.69 |
| K1 M 70–74 | Hugh Fisher (CAN) | 1:15:31.87 |
| K1 M 75–79 | Luis Tucci (ARG) | 1:28:12.35 |
| K1 W 35–39 | Goviana Reyes (CHI) | 1:23:32.16 |
| K1 W 40–44 | Bridgitte Hartley (RSA) | 1:15:20.23 |
| K1 W 45–49 | Griselda Noe (ARG) | 1:20:52.47 |
| K1 W 50–54 | Blanca Arroyo (ESP) | 1:22:14.28 |
| K1 W 55–59 | Jeanette Knudsen (DEN) | 1:23:30.94 |
| K1 W 60–64 | Virginie Bayle (FRA) | 1:22:13.30 |
| K1 W 65–69 | Allison Hay (RSA) | 1:03:30.72 |
| C1 M 35–39 | Vojtěch Mareš (CZE) | 58:09.78 |
| K2 M 35–39 | Alan Nielsen / Ivan Mansbach (ARG) | 1:20:07.19 |
| K2 M 40–44 | Mauricio Caffa / Rodrigo Caffa (ARG) | 1:19:54.95 |
| K2 M 45–49 | Martin Mozzicafreddo / Nestor Pinta (ARG) | 1:18:33.73 |
| K2 M 50–54 | Vadim Lawrence (CAN) / Tomáš Ježek (CZE) | 1:22:37.18 |
| K2 M 55–59 | Brett Greenwood / Brett McDonald (AUS) | 1:21:45.60 |
| K2 M 60–64 | Fabian Gonzalez / Omar Linares (ARG) | 1:25:51.18 |
| K2 M 65–69 | Marcelo Cravero (ARG) / Maxi Llamedo (ESP) | 1:09:24.10 |
| K2 M 70–74 | Karoly Magda (USA) / Theo Smit (RSA) | 1:12:23.90 |
| K2 W 35–39 | Maria Garro / Micaela Maslein (ARG) | 1:08:07.23 |
| K2 W 40–44 | Valeria Cilleruelo / Victoria Sanchez (ARG) | 1:18:57.48 |
| K2 W 45–49 | Corina Martin / Griselda Noe (ARG) | 1:16:15.07 |
| K2 W 50–54 | Paula Burks / Shannon Greenhill (USA) | 1:22:04.07 |
| C2 M 35–39 | Claudio Paiva / Roberto Palacios (ARG) | 1:24:07.32 |
| K2 Mixed 35–44 | Rodrigo Caffa / Maria Garro (ARG) | 49:32.94 |
| K2 Mixed 45–54 | Jorge Ferrier / Griselda Noe (ARG) | 52:01.12 |
| K2 Mixed 55–64 | Brett Greenwood / Daniela Torre (AUS) | 52:53.22 |
| K2 Mixed 65+ | Hugh Fisher (CAN) / Margaret Bohm (AUS) | 37:18.08 |
The number of laps and portages varied by category, so times should only be compared after checking that the crews raced the same course. The organisers merged the planned women's K2 55–59 and 60–64 into the 50–54 race, where the crews originally entered in those two older categories both reached the podium: Elizabeth Holmes and Lynn Rimkus second, Roxana Tola and Fabiana Moya third.
Three golds each: Caffa, Noe and Greenwood
Rodrigo Caffa won the event with the most entries. The men’s K1 45–49 had 43 entries and 39 starters. Caffa finished in 1:23:08.42, 8.01 seconds ahead of Ivan Mansbach. On Tuesday he won the K2 40–44 with Mauricio Caffa in 1:19:54.95. Paul Geoffroy and Fernando Percaz, the K1 40–44 champion, finished 3.28 seconds behind. His third gold came in the mixed K2 35–44 with Maria Garro. They won by 46.65 seconds in 49:32.94.
Griselda Noe won every race she entered. She won the women’s K1 45–49, finishing 48.38 seconds ahead of Fernanda Lauro. In the women's K2 45–49 she partnered Corina Martin and won by 2:16.33 in 1:16:15.07. Her third gold came in the mixed K2 45–54 with Jorge Ferrier, in 52:01.12. Carolina Diaz finished second behind Noe in two of those races: the K2 and the mixed K2. Together with her K1 50–54 silver, that gave Diaz three silver medals.
Brett Greenwood won the men’s K1 60–64 by 4:50.71 and then the men's K2 55–59 with Brett McDonald by 6:18.96. No other winner in a field of more than ten boats finished as much as four minutes clear. The mixed K2 55–64 was much closer: Greenwood and Daniela Torre won by 0.99 seconds, and the crew they beat included McDonald, racing with Denmark's Jeanette Knudsen.
Hugh Fisher: two golds at 71
Fisher won Olympic gold in the K2 1000 m at Los Angeles 1984 with Alwyn Morris and a bronze in the K2 500 m at the same Games. In Gualeguaychú he won the men's K1 70–74 by 0.65 seconds over South Africa's Theo Smit, in 1:15:31.87.
On Tuesday he raced twice. In the men's K2 65–69 he and Sweden's Johan Dahl finished third in 1:09:53.13, 1.42 seconds behind Monteith and Colin Simpkins. The winners were Marcelo Cravero of Argentina and Maxi Llamedo of Spain, 27.61 seconds clear. In the mixed K2 65+ Fisher partnered Bohm, the K1 65–69 silver medallist, and they beat Hay and Simpkins by 9.74 seconds. Simpkins, second to Monteith in the K1 65–69 as well, finished the championships with three silver medals from three races.
Smit claimed his gold on Tuesday morning. With Karoly Magda of the United States he won the men's K2 70–74 in 1:12:23.90, 1:13.06 ahead of Chris Visser and Nigel Briggs.
Ježek wins twice as Hartley and Beaumont contest mixed K2
Tomáš Ježek won K1 silver at the 2008 senior marathon world championships in Týn nad Vltavou. In the men's K1 50–54 he finished in 1:27:38.26, 2.29 seconds ahead of New Zealand's Garth Spencer. South Africa's Graeme Solomon was third. On Tuesday Spencer and Solomon raced together in the K2 50–54, and they again finished behind Ježek. Partnering Lawrence, Ježek won in 1:22:37.18, with a margin of 9.96 seconds.
Both golds credited to Czechia in the combined tally came in Monday’s singles. Vojtěch Mareš won the men's C1 35–39 in 58:09.78, more than two and a half minutes ahead of Roberto Palacios.
Two Olympic medallists lined up in separate crews for the mixed K2 35–44: Hartley and Beaumont. Hartley won K1 500 m bronze at London 2012 and was elected chair of the ICF Athletes' Committee in 2022. On Monday she won the women’s K1 40–44 by 1.09 seconds over Cecilia Collueque. In the mixed K2 she partnered Cook, the K1 35–39 champion, and they took silver in 50:19.59, 0.98 seconds ahead of Julian Alganaras and Collueque.
France's Maxime Beaumont, K1 200 m silver medallist at Rio 2016, finished fourth with Virginie Bayle in 51:58.22. A day earlier Bayle had won the women's K1 60–64 in 1:22:13.30. Beaumont was fourth in the K1 40–44 as well, 2:06.91 behind Percaz.
Argentina's Daniel Dal Bo, a 2013 world championship silver medallist in sprint and a Rio 2016 Olympian, finished second in the K1 35–39, 1.80 seconds behind Cook.
What’s next: the World Championships on the same course
The 2026 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships begin on the same course on Wednesday 21 October with paracanoe racing and run until Sunday 25 October. Thursday brings the junior and senior short races, Friday the under-23 finals, and the weekend the senior K1, C1, K2 and C2 races.
Several masters medallists are also entered in the senior events. Hartley and Chile’s Goviana Reyes are entered in the senior women's short race heats on Thursday and the K1 on Saturday. Garro is entered in the short race and, with Micaela Maslein, in the senior women's K2 on Sunday. Cook and Spencer, in different crews, are entered in the senior men's K2, and Palacios and Claudio Paiva, the C2 masters winners, race the senior C2 on Sunday morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the most gold medals at the 2026 Masters Canoe Marathon World Championships?
Rodrigo Caffa (Argentina), Griselda Noe (Argentina) and Brett Greenwood (Australia) won three gold medals each. Each won a K1 race, a K2 race and a mixed K2 race. The tally combines WCH and World Cup events.
Which nation topped the medal table in Gualeguaychú?
Argentina led the combined WCH and World Cup tally with 15 gold, 15 silver and 20 bronze medals, counting one medal per boat. South Africa was second with 4 gold, 6 silver and 2 bronze.
Did Hugh Fisher win every race he entered at the 2026 Masters Worlds?
No. The 1984 Olympic K2 1000 m champion won the men's K1 70–74 by 0.65 seconds and the mixed K2 65+ with Margaret Bohm, but finished third in the men's K2 65–69 with Johan Dahl, 1.42 seconds behind the silver medallists.
How did Bridgitte Hartley do at the 2026 Masters Worlds?
She won the women's K1 40–44 by 1.09 seconds over Cecilia Collueque, then took silver in the mixed K2 35–44 with Clinton Cook.
How many races were held at the 2026 Masters Canoe Marathon World Championships?
34 races over two days: 17 singles races on 19 October, then 13 K2 and C2 races and four mixed K2 races on 20 October.
How large was Argentina’s numerical advantage?
The hosts accounted for 328 entries, more than two-thirds of the field. They swept seven podiums and won 15 golds. A larger team gave Argentina more medal opportunities, though entry numbers alone cannot establish how much of its success was due to team size. The two largest winning margins in races of more than ten boats went to Australia's Greenwood: 6:18.96 in the K2 55–59 and 4:50.71 in the K1 60–64.
Which masters medallists race at the senior World Championships?
Bridgitte Hartley, Goviana Reyes, Maria Garro, Clinton Cook, Garth Spencer, Roberto Palacios and Claudio Paiva are all in the start lists of the senior championships from 21 to 25 October.
At 71, and 42 years after his Olympic gold, Hugh Fisher won two races by margins under ten seconds. Attention now turns to the next competition on the same course: the 2026 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships start on Wednesday.