Greenlander Karoline Nielsen is going to the European Kayak Championships

Karoline Nielsen, who has family roots in Saattut in the Uummannaq Fjord, will compete for European Championships medals in early July.

The 22-year-old Greenlandic kayaker Karoline Nielsen has been selected for the Danish U-23 national team to represent Denmark at the upcoming European Championships.

The European Championships for U-18 to U-23 will be held in Romania in early July, where Karoline Nielsen will row 200 meters in a single kayak.

– I’m going to row my favorite distance, which is 200 meters in a single kayak, says Karoline Nielsen to KNR.

Karoline Nielsen has previously represented Denmark at international youth competitions such as world championships, European championships and Nordic championships.

The competitions in international events are held with carbon-fiberglass kayaks. But it was Karoline Nielsen’s grandfather’s use of a traditional Greenlandic kayak in Saattut that was the source of inspiration for Karoline Nielsen’s passion for kayaking, which she now practices in the Silkeborg Lakes.

Difficult to predict outcome

Now it is the first time she will participate in the U-23 after turning 22.

– It’s hard to say anything about expectations. It will be a really high level. It will probably be the same level as at the World Championships, says Karoline Nielsen.

– I expect some strong ladies, now that I have also moved up to a class that I have not really rowed in at international events before. I have also not participated in the European or World Championships since 2021, so for now I would like to be in the top 5, says Karoline Nielsen.

She has put her job aside before the selection and trains 16-18 hours a week. The selection for the European Championships has also given her even more motivation to train.

The 200-meter sprint is very much about explosiveness at the start and maintaining a good start. The national kayak team is therefore going to Romania in good time to get used to the surroundings.

– It will probably be some explosive training, where we will practice some starts so that we can get out of the starting gaps well. Because, as I said, it is a very short distance, so it is very important to have good control of the start itself, says Karoline Nielsen.

She also has a dream for the future with her sport.

– It is to represent Greenland at the World Cup. But we have to see if it can be done in the future, says Karoline Nielsen.