Dear Sportfriends,

the info - Bulletin with all needed information for the teams and visitors was presented on January 20th 2009 and is available there. We would like to ask you please keep the dedlines fixed for separate forms.

Thank you.

Greetings

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Czech Republic has the honour of welcoming participants to the Olympic Hopes Competition Canoe Racing Event 2009 Račice. Olympic Hopes International Steering Committee conferred the organisation of this sporting event on the Czech Canoe Union.

The Olympic Hopes Competition will be held at the Račice Regatta Course and are by no means the first important sporting event to be held at Račice; Sportcentrum Račice has successfully organised several international canoe events of similar importance in the past:

1993 World Canoeing Junior Championships
2004 Canoeing World Cup
2005 Olympic Hopes Competition Canoe Racing Event
2006 European Canoeing Championships
2007 World Canoeing Junior Championships
2009 Canoeing World Cup

For the Czech Canoe Union and the Sportcentrum Račice the Olympic Hopes Competition 2009 Račice provides a further opportunity to showcase the quality of the Račice Regatta Course to the outside world as well as our organisational ability. This is very important for us, not only to attract further major canoeing competitions to the Czech Republic, but also to support Prague’s bid to host the Olympic Games in 2020, as the Olympic rowing and canoeing events would be held at the Račice Sports Centre.

In conclusion, as Chairman of the Czech Canoe Union, Flat Water section I would like to express my conviction that the Olympic Hopes Competitions will be staged to the complete satisfaction of competitors, their support teams, spectators, international sports officials and the organisers.

Mgr. Jan Boháč
Chairman of the Czech Canoe Union, Flat Water section