Photo by Darwin Mulligan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sophie Strilchuk to Represent Canada at 2026 IWWF World U17 Waterski Championships
March 27, 2026 – Lloydminster, AB — Sophie Strilchuk will represent Canada at the 2026 IWWF World U17 Waterski Championships, taking place April 1-5, 2026, in Córdoba, Argentina. She will compete in Slalom, Trick, and Jump, and contribute to Canada’s Team Overall standings.
The Championships will be held at Lago Ahumada Nautical Stadium and will feature more than 110 athletes from over 18 countries competing across all three events. Following familiarization on March 30-31, competition begins April 1.
Strilchuk, 16, is from Lloydminster, Alberta and represents Saskatchewan on the water. She has been competing for eight years and enters her first World Championships as a three-event skier. Her personal bests include 4 buoys at 14m (28 off) in slalom, 2,640 points in trick, and a 30-metre jump.
She is one of six athletes selected to compete for Canada in the Team Overall event, where combined scores across slalom, trick, and jump determine the overall team standings and who walks away with the Team Overall Title.
Strilchuk has achieved strong results at the national level, highlighted by winning the Junior Canadian Open and capturing national titles in jump, trick, and overall, along with a silver medal in slalom.
Her introduction to the sport came through time spent at the lake with her family. “At the lake with my parents in the summer,” she said.
One of her favourite memories in the sport is traveling to Ontario for national championships.
Looking ahead, Strilchuk has her sights set on continuing her development in the sport. Her long-term goal is to pursue water skiing at the collegiate level.
At the U17 Worlds, she is looking forward to both the competition and the experience beyond it. “My first time in South America and meeting new people,” she shared.
Outside of water skiing, Strilchuk also plays hockey.
For more information, including event details, start lists, and results, visit:
Event Website: https://ahumadaesquinautico.com/
IWWF Event Page: https://iwwf.sport/world-title-events/u17worlds2026/
Start Lists & Results: https://www.iwwfed-ea.org/classic/26IWWF02/
Media Assets/Photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12QdBU0-Hnz_WK6DUHTztNe4GFrin4UZq?usp=sharing