This year's Canoe Slalom European Championships location in Pau, France, hosted the first race in the Pyrenees Cup race series. Olympic Champion Maialen Chourraut from Spain won in women’s kayak final, her compatriot Ander Elosegi was the fastest in men’s canoe, while Martin Dougoud from Switzerland won in men’s kayak and French paddler Lucie Prioux in women’s canoe.
European athletes are already testing their form before the first selection races that are coming soon in most of countries. Pau hosted the first Pyrenees Cup race with many international athletes on the start line.
In the first final event of the weekend Spanish paddler Ander Elosegi produced a penalty free run to win the race in front of Italian Roberto Colazingari and French paddler Pierre-Antoine Tillard. He was actually a bit faster than Elosegi, but picked up four penalty seconds on his way to be 3.18 seconds behind the winner at the end.
The second win of the day also went to Spanish paddler. It was the 2016 Olympic champion Maialen Chourraut who was the best in women’s kayak final. Lucie Baudu from France finished the race in second place and Russian paddler Ekaterina Perova was third.
Martin Dougoud and Lukas Werro prepared a bit of surprise with a double Swiss win in men’s kayak final. Dougoud finished the course exactly one second faster than his teammate Werro, while Portuguese kayaker Antoine Launay finished the race in third place, 1.06 seconds behind.
A double French win was celebrated in women’s canoe event where Lucie Prioux and Claire Jacquet showed the best runs. Monica Doria Vilarrubla from Andorra was third.
The second race in Pyrenees Cup race series will be held next weekend in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain.
Photo: Pau Canoe Facebook page
8.4.2019
