European Canoe Association

Great Britain dominated the first paracanoe finals in Munich 2022

19.8.2022

The second competition day at the Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe Munich 2022 European Championships brought the first medals to the best athletes in paracanoe VL finals. Great Britain concluded the day with a total of five medals, three of them gold.

Jack Eyers set the best European time in Thursday's VL3 200 metres final and he managed to even improve the time in today's race. At the end, he was almost two seconds faster than his closest opponent Vladyslav Yepifanov from Ukraine. Bronze medal went to France thanks to Eddie Potdevin.

"It's my second European (championships) so to win the title it's incredible, really fantastic. I've developed a skill where I can just stay in the lane, and I don't think about anything else. I have no perspective on where the other competitors are until I cross that finish line and can hear that beep. I don't know my time - I obviously know where I've placed, but I don't know much more than that. I look forward to watching the race back and just looking where I can push it on even further. I feel that the training that Hannah (Brown) has given us over the last six months or so has been next-level, it's really pushed us on. I'm really excited to see what the winter brings. It's going to be brutal, but the whole team's going to come back stronger next year, which is massively exciting," said the newly crowned European Champion Jack Eyers.

His teammate Charlotte Henshaw was the fastest in women's VL2 200 metres final, but it was a tough race. Hope Gordon won the second place for Great Britain and was only 0.170 seconds behind. Ukraine's Natalia Lahutenko was third.

Henshaw produced the fastest time in the history of European Championships in this event: "A lot closer this time. That's brilliant for us. This is a new Paralympic event, and we want to showcase it in a really good way. Hopefully myself and Hope can keep pushing the sport forward and this event forward until Paris 2024 (Paralympic Games) and hopefully we can both be there on the podium."

Great Britain celebrated a double win in women's VL2 200 metres event as well. It was Emma Wiggs and Jeanette Chippington crossing the finish line in first and second place respectively. Germany's Katharina Bauernschmidt was third.

"I'm still doing it at this age (42), ridiculous, isn't it? Maybe it was the tailwind. All I can do is paddle my best and try my hardest. I love training, so I work hard in the winter. If the times keep coming, brilliant, and if I can do my bit and it adds to the sport, and help encourage other people to come through, then hopefully I've done my bit as well," said Wiggs after producing the best European time of this event.

Tamasz Juhasz from Hungary received gold medal for his winning performance in men's VL2 200 metres event. Higinio Rivero from Spain was second and Norberto Mourao from Portugal third.

"It was a big surprise. I wondered about maybe a medal, but not the gold medal. The wind from the side was quite good for me, I really liked that kind of wind. This water is very special because it is a clearwater (lake) so, it helped me,” said Juhasz.

In the last paracanoe medal event of the day Germany picked up gold and silver medal in women's VL1 200 metres final. It was Lillemor Koeper who crossed the finish line in first position, more than a second and a half ahead of her teammate Esther Bode. Karolina Bronowicz from Poland was third.

RESULTS

Women's VL3 200m

1. Charlotte Henshaw GBR

2. Hope Gordon GBR

3. Natalia Lahutenko UKR

Men's VL3 200m

1. Jack Eyers GBR

2. Vladyslav Yepifanov UKR

3. Eddie Potdevin FRA

Women's VL2 200m

1. Emma Wiggs GBR

2. Jeanette Chippington GBR