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On the final day of the 2025 ECA Canoe Slalom European Championships on the Olympic course in Vaires-sur-Marne, French athletes dominated the kayak cross events. However, a historic achievement came from 24-year-old Belgian kayaker Gabriel de Coster, who won the individual kayak cross event and secured the first ever medal for Belgium in the history of the European Canoe Slalom Championships. And not just any medal—the young Belgian became European Champion in the individual kayak cross discipline, in which European titles were awarded for the first time last year. Second and third place went to French paddlers Mathurin Madore and Benjamin Renia.

 

"I expected a success a bit. I trained a lot for it, and I am finally back in the first place. It has been three years without making any medals, so I am really happy about it. It was difficult to have the right line, but as soon as you have it, you feel the speed, and I felt the speed all the way down," said de Coster.

 

And the tactics? "Nothing. Brain off, biceps on, and give everything."

 

The heroine of the day was also French kayaker Camille Prigent, who claimed a double European crown. She first posted the fastest run in the individual kayak cross and then came out on top again in the kayak cross final. Joining her on the individual kayak cross podium were fellow French athlete Angele Hug and Britain's Kimberley Woods. In a tense kayak cross final, second place went to another French paddler, Emma Vuitton, and third to Czech athlete Olga Samkova.

 

"I am really happy. I had a hard day yesterday, and I was really sad. It was hard to get back into racing, but we had a nice crowd cheering and good music and I really enjoyed it today. It was really hard, because there was another French girl in the final, and I wanted we both do well together, but it is hard in cross to plan anything, it just worked out the best. I am very happy for the French team," said Prigent after winning her second title of the day.

 

In the last final of the championships, the men competed for kayak cross medals. The best performance came from young Czech Jakub Krejci, who beat Frenchman Benjamin Renia and Britain’s Sam Leaver.

 

"It is crazy. I am so grateful, because it was my first final in kayak cross and I won. It is nice. The atmosphere was crazy, the crowd gets really really loud, it was nice to race with the French in the final here," said Krejci.

 

The 2026 ECA Canoe Slalom European Championships will be held in Ivrea, Italy.