Hungary remains the strongest canoe marathon nation after World Championships in South Africa
South African city of Pietermaritzburg hosted the 25th edition of the Canoe Marathon World Championships. This was the second time this country hosted canoe marathon world championships after Cape Town welcomed World’s best back in 1998. Hungary once again showed they have the best marathon paddlers. Hungarian representatives won at least a medal in each of the 17 World Championships events. Besides Hungary other European teams - Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Ireland - also won medals at this World Championships.
Hungary celebrated World Champion titles in almost all the events of the championships in South Africa. In senior events Marton Kover won World Champion title in men’s C1 event ahead of two Spaniards Manuel Garrido and Manuel Antonio Campos, Kover won another gold medal in C2 together with Adam Docze. In the same C2 event two Spanish crews finished the race in second and third place, Ferro and Grana won silver and Campos – Sanchez bronze medal. Vanda Kiszli and Sara Anna Mihalik were the fastest in women’s K2 finishing just ahead of their teammates Renata Csay and Alexandra Barra, while Lani Belcher and Hayleigh Jayne (GBR) picked up bronze medal.
Zsoka Csikos and European Champion Dorina Fekete finished in first and second place in women’s junior event, Adam Varga was the best in men’s junior C1 event, Sara Anna Mihalik and Zsfia Czellai – Voros were first and second in women’s U23 category, Balazs Adolf and Sebestyen Simon picked up gold and silver medal in C1 junior event, Bence Balazs Dori won world champion title in men’s C1 U23 event, Levente Vekassy and Adam Varga were the fastest in men’s K2 junior event, Krisztian Mathe won bronze medal in K1m U23 event, Kohalmi and Bako were first and Korsos- Nagy second in women’s K2 junior race ...
Lani Belcher (GBR) picked up her second gold medal of the championships in senior women’s K1 event finishing the race five seconds ahead of Hungarian Vanda Kiszli, while Jennifer Egan (IRL) finished third. In senior men’s K1 event host nation celebrated double title with Hank McGregor and Andrew Birkett. Adrian Boros (HUN) finished third. All three were successful also in the K2 event. Adrian Boros and Laszlo Solti (HUN) were second, in between two South African crews McGregor – Mocke and Birkett – Van Der Westhuizen. Liudmyla Babak (UKR) was the best in women’s C1 event, aheadof Zsanett Lakatos (HUN) and Jana Ježova (CZE).
Charles Smith (K1m junior), Alexandra Lane (K1w U23) and Freya Peters – Emma Russel (K2w junior) also won medals for Great Britain, Duarte Silva (C1m junior) and Sergio Maciel (C1m U23) won medals for Portugal, Partyk Gluza won bronze for Poland in men’s C1 U23 event, while Spain also celebrated bronze medal in men’s junior K2 event with Carlos Gomez and Miguel Sanchez.
There were two events where only three boats participated. Giada Bragato (HUN), Mathilde Trincin (FRA) and Maja Szajdek (POL) were competing in C1w junior event, while Simon – Feyes (HUN)crossed the finish line in C2m junior race with the fastest time, ahead of Leo and Thomas Dubois Dunilac (FRA) and Heine – Mode (GER).
