Andorran Canoeist Mònica Doria Targets 2028 Olympics via New ICF Points System

Andorran canoeist Mònica Doria launches her 2026 season next week, focusing on a new International Canoe Federation points system for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics that rewards consistency across multiple events.

At Thursday's season presentation at Creand headquarters, Doria described the format as a "race of endurance" that provides stability by assessing performance over 18 months rather than a single race. The ranking includes nine events from 2026 to 2027, with qualification based on each athlete's five best results and a limit of two spots per nation. This puts 19 Olympic places at stake overall—six in kayak, ten in canoe, and three in kayak cross. For Andorra, success in any category through this route could allow Doria to compete in all three disciplines at the Games.

Doria and coach Cristian Tobio, from the Andorran Canoe Federation, will skip the season-opening World Cup in Ljubljana to peak for later fixtures. Her calendar starts with Prague from June 5-7, followed by Augsburg on June 12-14, then the World Championships in Oklahoma City from July 20-25. She returns for the World Cup rounds in Paris on September 3-5 and La Seu d'Urgell from September 10-13. Tobio emphasized building form for the season's end, where three 2026 ranking events fall: Paris, La Seu, and Oklahoma. "We have two of the nine events at La Seu, which helps, but good results everywhere are needed," he said.

Doria welcomes the change from past systems reliant on the prior year's Worlds. "It gives more peace of mind because it counts overall performance, not everything on one outing," she said. "If I perform at my level, I'll be there." She adjusted preseason training for technical and physical demands, including more kayak cross work and competition management.

The Worlds course in Oklahoma differs sharply from typical setups, with steep drops and straighter lines that accelerate water flow, requiring careful adaptation. Doria also targets the European Championships in Ivrea to defend her canoe title won last May in Vaires-sur-Marne, France. "It's personally important, even if not bolded on the calendar—gold is always hard-won," she noted.

Alternative routes remain: the 2028 European Championships for up to two extra spots per discipline, and a pre-Olympic elimination event for two more. Doria arrives motivated after Tokyo and Paris, confident in her preparation. "I'm eager for new challenges and trust the process," she said.