Canoe Sprint is a physically demanding sport that engages the entire body (Akca & Muniroglu, 2008). Recent studies suggest that kayakers with more years of specific practice are the ones who achieve better performances, and anthropometric and maturity characteristics have a greater influence on equipment selection at earlier ages (Fernandes, 2023). This study aims to characterise the top Under 14 (U14) Portuguese paddlers and explore the associations between their training volume, physical fitness, and paddle characteristics. Data were collected on the top twenty-seven male, aged 13.80 ± 0.6 years, and twenty-three female, aged 13.87 ± 0.6 years, during a Training Camp organised by the Portuguese Canoe Federation for the best kayak and canoe U14 paddlers, selected from the national ranking. Ethical approval was obtained, and parents or legal guardians provided informed consent. The variables assessed were years of practice in canoeing, number of practice sessions per week and time per session, pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, overhead medicine ball throw, handgrip strength, paddle and blade length, blade width, handgrip distance, angle between blades, and vertical water-shoulder distance. Descriptive statistics were assessed, and Spearman`s correlation coefficients (rs) were calculated and classified as very high (0.9-1), high (0.7-0.9), moderate (0.5-0.7), low (0.3-0.5), and negligible (0-0.3) (Mukaka, 2012). The level of significance was set as rho < 0.05. SPSS Statistics 29.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was applied to perform the statistical analysis. Upon characterising the group, the following indicators were obtained, height: 171.4 ± 7.5 and 161.0 ± 5.2 cm, seated height: 88.1 ± 5 and 85,6 ± 2.7 cm, arm span: 177.3 ± 9.7 and 164.8 ± 6.2 cm, weight: 59 ± 9.1 and 55.8 ± 7.5 kg, years of practice: 8.8 ± 1.5 and 4.5 ± 1.4 years, PAH: 92.2 ± 3.1 and 94.3 ± 2 %, for male and female athletes, respectively. For the female kayakers, sit-ups correlate moderately with the number of practice sessions per week (rs= 0,674, p< 0,05) and strongly correlate with time per session (rs= 0,723, p< 0,05), emphasising the crucial role of abdominal strength in kayaking performance. Vertical water-shoulder distance shows a strong correlation with handgrip strength in both male and female kayakers (rs= 0,756 and rs= 0,747, p< 0,05), reinforcing these variables as potential early success indicators in young athletes. For the male kayakers, training frequency is associated with upper body endurance, since the number of weekly training sessions is moderately correlated with pull-ups and push-ups (rs= 0,577 and rs= 0,618, p< 0,05) and overhead medicine ball throw strongly correlates with vertical water-shoulder distance (rs= 0,673, p< 0,05). As for male canoe athletes, handgrip strength correlates moderately with paddle length, blade width, and handgrip distance (rs= 0,660, rs= 0,609, and rs= 0,677, p< 0,05, respectively), meaning forearm strength and endurance capacity actively interfere with the paddle size. The associations between these variables underscore the need for tailored training programs and proper equipment selection to maximise performance and support early talent identification in young paddlers
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