Tokyo Olympics, here they come! We are so excited to recognize and congratulate all our National Team members and coaches, those who have competed on the international stage, and the following athletes who will represent the U.S. in Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, and Paracanoe in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics:
Slalom:
Evy Leibfarth
- Hometown: Bryson City, NC
- 17 years old
- Will represent the US in Tokyo this summer in the WK-1 and WC-1 events and will be among the youngest athletes competing at the Games
2019 Pan American champion in WK-1, and finished 4th at her first senior world championship in 2019 in the WC-1 to secure an Olympic quota for the US
Zach “Bug” Lokken
- Hometown: Durango, CO
- Zach has been on the national team for 9 years (since 2012)
- Began canoe slalom in a C-1 when he was 8 years old
- Zach’s childhood nickname was Bug
- Made his senior international debut at the 2009 world championships when he was 15 years old
Michal Smolen:
- Hometown: Charlotte, NC
- 27 years old
- Born and raised in Krakow, Poland, until he was 10 years old
- 2016 Rio Olympian – finished 12th in the MK-1
Sprint:
Nevin Harrison:
- Hometown: Seattle, Washington
- 19 Years Old
- Will represent the US in Tokyo this summer in C-1 200m
- Was the first American canoeist to win a world championship medal in canoe sprint in 2019
- In Tokyo, Harrison could become the first American woman to win Olympic gold in either sprint or slalom.
Paracanoe:
Kaitlyn Verfuerth:
- Hometown: Flagstaff, Arizona
- 36 Years Old
- Will represent the US in Tokyo this summer in Paracanoe KL2 and VL2
- Secured a ticket to Tokyo based on her result in VL1 women 200m at the 2019 ICF World Championships
Blake Haxton:
- Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
- 31 Years old
- Will represent the US in Tokyo this summer in Paracanoe VL2
- Blake is also a member of the U.S. Paralympic Rowing Team and was named to the Paralympic team in the men’s single sculls event at the U.S. Team Trials in April.