OKC white water center to host 2026 Canoe Slalom World Championships
Table of Contents
OKC to host 2026 Canoe Slalom World Championships
Oklahoma City’s RIVERSPORT Rapids whitewater center has been selected as the site for the 2026 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Slalom World Championships. It will be the first time for the event to be held in North America in more than a decade.
“Aside from the Olympic Games, this is the most significant event in any given year for the sport,” said Mike Knopp, executive director for RIVERSPORT. ““Oklahoma City invested in a world-class whitewater rapids center and now, we’re seeing recognition from around the world. It’s a great moment for our city.”
The ICF cited RIVERSPORT’s successful hosting of the 2021 ICF Canoe Sprint Super Cup and the organization’s willingness to step up and host the 2022 ICF Stand-Up Paddle board and Canoe Sprint Super Cups, events displaced by the war in Ukraine, as playing a role in the ICF Board’s decision, which was announced Saturday.
The weeklong event in Oklahoma City is expected to attract nearly 400 athletes from more than 60 countries. Dates haven’t been set for the event but it will be held either in September or October, Knopp said.
OU softball sweeps UAB
Jayda Coleman and Lynnsie Elam hit back-to-back home runs with two out in sixth inning Saturday to lift No. 1 Oklahoma to a 2-0 victory over UAB and a sweep of the two-game series.
The Sooners (32-0) run-ruled UAB, 11-1, in five innings on Friday night at Marita Hynes Field.
On Saturday, Hope Trautwein threw a two-hit shutout for OU, striking out nine and allowing one walk to the Blazers (20-13).
On Friday night, Grace Lyons hit a walk-off home run while Jocelyn Alo and Coleman also homered. Jordy Bahl collected her 14th win of the season in the circle.
NO. 6 OSU 6, BAYLOR 1: Oklahoma State softball extended its winning streak to nine games with Friday night’s victory at Baylor. Miranda Elish (8-4) struck out eight and pitched her way out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh inning to secure the complete game victory. Katelynn Carwile was 2-for-4 with a run scored an RBI for OSU (26-6, 4-0).
OSU clinches series against Kansas State
Oklahoma State baseball downed Kansas State, 8-6, Saturday at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas.
The win clinched the Big 12 Conference series after the Cowboys defeated the Wildcats, 12-9, in the series opener on Friday night.
Trevor Martin picked up the save in both games as OSU (20-7, 5-0) built big leads then held off Kansas State rallies.
On Saturday, OSU led 3-1 then scored four runs in the sixth. Kansas State cut into the lead with two runs in the bottom of the frame and three in the eighth. Martin pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.
Marcus Brown doubled and tripled for OSU and scored two runs. Hueston Morrill also had two hits with an RBI and run scored. Victor Mederos (5-1) picked up the win, allowing three hits and three earned runs over 5.2 innings.
On Friday night, the Cowboys took advantage of 10 walks and three errors by Kansas State to build a 12-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. The Wildcats scored seven runs over the next two innings before the bullpen quelled the rally.
Roman Phansalkar tossed two shutout innings in relief while Martin added a scoreless ninth. Justin Campbell (4-1) earned the pitching win on the mound.
Caeden Trenkle homered and drove in four runs to lead OSU, while Jake Thompson, Morrill and Chase Adkison also collected two RBIs.
The Cowboys go for the series sweep Sunday in a 1 p.m. game.
Extra points
TENNIS: OU defeated OSU, 4-3, in men’s tennis Friday night at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman. OU women downed TCU, 6-1, on Friday while the Cowgirls beat Texas Tech, 4-2..
BASKETBALL: The Oklahoma City Blue (15-20) ended its season with a 124-114 loss to the Iowa Wolves on Friday night.
— Staff and wire reports