The 1938 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Vaxholm, Sweden, outside Stockholm, between 6–7 August 1938. This event was held under the auspices of the Internationale Repräsentantenschaft Kanusport (IRK), founded in 1924 and the forerunner of the International Canoe Federation.
The men's competition consisted of three Canadian (single paddle, open boat) and seven kayak events. Two events were held for the women, both in kayak.
This was the first championships in canoe sprint and the only one held prior to World War II which would break out the following year. It is also the only time the K-1 10000 m folding and K-2 10000 m folding events would take place in the world championships.
Medal summary
Men's
Canoe Event Gold Time Silver Time Bronze TimeC-1 1000 m 6:45.8 6:51.4 7:11.7C-2 1000 m Rupert WeinstablKarl Proisl5:47.3 Bohuslav KarlíkJan Brzák-Felix5:52.3 Václav MottlZdeněk Škrland5:54.4C-2 10000 m Bohuslav KarlíkJan Brzák-Felix52:38.7 Rupert WeinstablKarl Proisl53:06.5 Christian HolzenbergHeinz Jürgens54:12.4
Kayak Event Gold Time Silver Time Bronze TimeK-1 1000 m 5:03.2 5:05.9 5:06.4K-1 10000 m 46:42.8 47:35.6 48:10.7K-1 10000 m folding 51.48.8 51:49.7 51:59.3K-2 1000 m Helmut TriebeHans Eberle4:46.6 Kurt BooHans Berglund4:45.5 Poul LarsenVagn Jørgensen4:46.7K-2 10000 m Gunnar JohanssonBerndt Berndtsson43:29.9 Helmut TriebeHans Eberle44:06.6 Adolf KainzKarl Maurer44:21.1K-2 10000 m folding Carl-Gustav HellstrandtErik Helsvik47:11.5 Sven JohanssonErik Bladström47:37.7 Kurt KrehJohann Fuchs48:10.7K-4 1000 m Ernst KubeHeini BrüggemannErnst StrathmannHeine Strathmann4:08.2 Hans ReinJosef ReidelAlbert SchornKarl Aulenbach4:08.8 Roland KarlssonGöte CarlssonGunnar JohanssonBerndt Berndtsson4:10.5
Women's
Kayak Event Gold Time Silver Time Bronze TimeK-1 600 m 3:26.0 3:30.3 3:32.2K-2 600 m Marta PavlisováMarie Zvolánková3:05.2 Josefa KösterElisabeth Kropp3:05.5 Ruth LangeBodil Thirstedt3:06.9
Medals table
References International Canoe Federation ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships - Part 1: flatwater (now sprint): 1936-2007. ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships - Part 2: rest of flatwater (now sprint) and remaining canoeing disciplines: 1936-2007.