Evy Leibfarth (Bryson City, North Carolina)
In 2019, Leibfarth qualified for her first ever slalom senior national team in both women’s K1 and C1 at age 15. Despite being one of the youngest athletes on the international racing circuit, Leibfarth put on a tremendous display of her potential, making finals and winning medals at the world cups while also taking home a bronze medal in K1 and a gold medal in the extreme slalom at the ICF Junior World Championships. She capped off her spectacular first season by earning the U.S. an Olympic quota spot with a fourth-place finish in C1 at the 2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships. Now she’ll look to become the youngest-ever American paddler to qualify for an Olympic Games.
Casey Eichfeld (Drums, Pennsylvania)
Eichfeld will be vying to qualify for his fourth Olympic Games in 2020. A slalom athlete, he is considered amongst the best paddlers in the men's C1 category. After finishing seventh at Rio 2016, Eichfeld looks to once again be among the top finishers at the 2020 Games.
Michal Smolen (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Smolen, son of U.S. National Slalom Team coach Rafal Smolen, is among the top men's K1 slalom paddlers in the world. The 2016 Olympian is very calm, cool, and collected when he’s on the water and confident in his chances to win a medal in Tokyo. Coming off a season strong 2019 season, Smolen looks to continue his upward trend toward the end of the season and represent Team USA on the world's largest stage.
Nevin Harrison (Seattle, Washington)
Harrison truly had a breakthrough 2019 season, proving she will be a force to reckon with in Tokyo. Competing in the women’s canoe 200-meter event, she put the world on notice when she won gold at the 2019 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships. Capping off her break-out season with a bronze medal at the Olympic test event in the fall of 2019, Harrison looks poised to shine in the Olympic spotlight.
Shaye Hatchette (Fort Gibson, Oklahoma)
Hatchette was chosen as one of Team USA's Next Olympic Hopefuls in 2018. She has since moved to the Lanier Canoe Kayak Club and is training under head coach Zsolt Szadovszki. Despite her limited time in the sport, she made her first U23 team in 2019. If she makes the 2020 Olympic Games, it will prove the power of talent transfer for all sport.