Heinz Poenn (September 11, 1934 – October 23, 2016) was a Canadian slalom canoeist who competed in the early 1970s. He finished 35th in the K-1 event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.[1]
Poenn was born in Fürth, Germany and emigrated to Canada in 1957. He was a long-time resident of Holland Landing, Ontario and owned a stainless steel manufacturing company in nearby Vaughan.[2]
Poenn was a true pioneer in the sport of canoe slalom in Canada. In 1965, he was a member of the first Canadian team at the World Championships in Spittal, Austria. He competed in the Men’s K-1 at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, the first appearance of canoe slalom as an Olympic-level sport. He was later a Coach for the National Team and served on the International Canoe Federation Slalom Committee. He worked to bring the Slalom and Downriver World Championships to Jonquière, Quebec in 1979.[3]
Poenn also worked to establish the Minden White Water Preserve in Ontario, which was used to host events at the 2015 Pan American Games.[3]
Poenn died on October 23, 2016, in Little Current, Ontario.[2]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Heinz Poenn". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ a b "Heinz Poenn Obituary". Island Funeral Home. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ a b "IN MEMORY OF WHITEWATER PIONEER HEINZ POENN". CanoeKayak.ca. CanoeKayak Canada.