WSDC 2026: Team Canada Are World Champions

Team Canada’s 2026 World Schools Debating Championships ended at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi with the trophy in Canadian hands. The delegation arrived in Kenya a week early for a pre-tournament training camp, then spent July 14 to 24 at WSDC Kenya, breaking eighth after the preliminary rounds and finishing as world champions for the fifth time.

Below: the tournament as the team saw it, the final, the awards, and a long list of thank-yous. Since WSDC is over and there are no time limits to worry about, this post is, as promised, quite long.

Chapter 01

The tournament

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Ten days in Nairobi, from the opening ceremony to the break.

From the opening ceremony in the general assembly hall through the preliminary rounds, Team Canada’s ten days in Nairobi built towards the break. The team finished the preliminary rounds eighth overall and went into the elimination rounds from there.

The opening ceremony, the general assembly hall, the student contingent, and prep at the Team Canada table.

Chapter 02

Nairobi, beyond the rounds

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A training camp, giraffes, a safari, break night and culture night.

The week before the tournament was a training camp in Nairobi, with a visit to the Giraffe Centre and a safari squeezed in before the first round. Once WSDC began, break night and culture night were the highlights away from the debating hall.

Break night and culture night.

More from the giraffes, the safari, break night and culture night. Use the arrows to scroll.

Chapter 03

The final

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A rematch of the 2019 final against Team India.

The final day of WSDC brought a rematch of the 2019 WSDC final against our friends from Team India. Near the area where, as the delegation would later learn, the Neolithic Revolution actually occurred, the final debate was fought on the question of whether people were more fulfilled before the Neolithic Revolution.

Hannah, Zac and Sophie in the final.

Chapter 04

The awards

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Before the result of the final was announced, the Canadian delegation received a series of individual awards.

Chapter 05

The moment

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In what proved to be an excellent debate, Team Canada were crowned champions on a unanimous decision.

Chapter 06

The trophy comes home

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With the team, the coaches, the alternates, and every member of the Five.

Chapter 07

Thank you

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To the numerous people who made this championship possible.

The final bit of business is a host of thank-yous to the numerous people who made this championship possible. Not everyone who contributed can be named here; Team Canada is truly a country-wide community that relies on the efforts of scores of volunteers.

First, to the students themselves: Hannah Li, Jade Wang, Sophie Li, Terrence Zhu and Zac Weinberg, for the tireless efforts and drive that made all of this possible.

The rest of the twelve

Thanks also to the rest of the twelve students selected this year, phenomenal team members and phenomenal talents in their own right.

The people behind the team

Contrary to popular belief, Team Canada is not a nationally funded or heavily resourced team. Every hour an adult spends on this team is an hour donated, and the number of people who choose to do so in a given year goes beyond counting. We’d like to start by thanking the members of committee who worked so hard to help us throughout the year.

Alumni and coaches

And to the scores of alumni and coaches who gave their time throughout the year, from judging practices to assisting with prepared cases: we truly couldn’t do any of this without you.

Individual coaches

Special thanks to our individual coaches, who volunteered to work one-on-one with each member of the five and are among those most responsible for the growth of each member of the team. Wendy James, our longest-tenured individual coach, deserves a mention of her own: the team is eternally indebted to her.

On the road with us

To the adults who travelled with us to WSDC and helped with both judging and supervision, without whom we surely would have lost our minds during the process of this tournament.

Canadian friends at WSDC

Two members of the broader Canadian debating family were in Nairobi in other roles, and represented Canada every bit as well.

And numerous others we have, no doubt, rudely forgotten.

That will suffice for the year. It is always an honour, and we will be back with an update when training camp for next year’s team begins. Until next year.