Best Canoe Paddlers of All Time
Who are the greatest canoe sprint paddlers of all time? Explore the leading paddlers in Sport Ranking’s historical canoe sprint ranking, based on results from major international competitions across different eras.
Greatest Men’s Canoe Sprint Paddlers
Canoe Singles Men
| # | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastian Brendel | Germany | 217 |
| 2 | Maxim Opalev | Russia | 188 |
| 3 | Andreas Dittmer | Germany | 175 |
| 3 | Martin Fuksa | Czech Republic | 175 |
| 5 | Isaquias Queiroz | Brazil | 120 |
| 6 | Martin Doktor | Czech Republic | 117 |
| 7 | Tamás Wichmann | Hungary | 106 |
| 8 | Nikolay Bukhalov | Bulgaria | 104 |
| 9 | David Cal | Spain | 90 |
| 10 | Olaf Heukrodt | Germany | 84 |
Greatest Women’s Canoe Sprint Paddlers
Canoe Singles Women
| # | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liudmyla Luzan | Ukraine | 85 |
| 2 | Laurence Vincent-Lapointe | Canada | 65 |
| 3 | Katie Vincent | Canada | 58 |
| 4 | Nevin Harrison | United States | 52 |
| 5 | María Mailliard | Chile | 45 |
| 6 | Alena Nazdrova | Belarus | 36 |
| 7 | Staniliya Stamenova | Bulgaria | 33 |
| 7 | Volha Klimava | Belarus | 33 |
| 9 | María Corbera | Spain | 27 |
| 10 | Olesia Romasenko | Russia | 25 |
How the All-Time Ranking Works
The historical ranking gives the greatest weight to the Olympic Games and the World Championships, while the continental championships also contribute to the ranking. Crew boats are included only in the national rankings, while the individual rankings are based exclusively on the results of single canoe events.
Learn more about Canoe Sprint scoring →