European Canoe Association

Miquel Trave writes history in Bratislava

19.8.2018

The 2018 ECA Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom European Championships in Bratislava concluded with women's kayak and men's canoe events. Spanish paddler Miquel Trave wrote histroy by winning his second individual Junior European Champion title in two days. Yesterday he was unbeatable in kayak and today in canoe. Klaudia Zwolinska, Cedric Joly and Nikita Setchell also won European Champion titles during the last day of competition.

Miquel Trave is undoubtedly the one to watch in the future. Spanish paddler celebrated junior K1M European Champion title yesterday and today added gold medal from the C1 event. He is also this year's Junior World Champion in C1. His final run was so good that the closest rival crossed the finish line more than five seconds slower than Trave. Nicolas Gestin from France was second and Flavio Micozzi from Italy third.

"It was not easy to prepare it. Yesterday's gold was not expected and it was a little bit different. It was difficult to maintain concentration but I calmed down like in kayak yesterday," said Trave after another winning performance.

In men's canoe in the U23 category it was a double celebration for France. Cedric Joly squeezed himself into the final as tenth after the semi-final, but he saved the best for the last. He showed the best run to celebrate European Champion title in front of his compatriot Valentin Marteil and Polish canoiest Przemyslaw Nowak.

"It was very complicated competition for me. It was very tight in the second qualification run to get to the semi-final, I was tenth in the semi-final and waited a long time to make sure to be in the final. It was my last run in the U23 category. I won a few in a junior category and I wanted to win one in the U23. I attacked like never before, I am really happy I could hold it through to the end of the race," said Joly.

There were quite a few upsets in men's U23 C1 semi-final after defending champion Marko Mirgorodsky from Slovakia missed the final due to a mistake in the last gate. Vaclav Chaloupka, Kacper Sztuba and Lucas Roisin were also watching the finals from the river bank.

There was a familiar face on the podium of women's U23 kayak event. Former multiple Junior European Champion Klaudia Zwolinska from Poland won the title in front of German Anna Faber and Czech Karolina Galuškova. "The run was good. I made a little mistake on the gate number 14. There I think I could be faster, but I am very happy. Run was one of the best in my career, I think. At the World Championships I was not in the final and now I have a gold medal, so I am very happy," Klaudia Zwolinska said.

The first final of the day was women's K1 junior event where a fresh face hit the top podium position. It was Nikita Setchell from Great Britain who celebrated the Junior European Champion title. She paddled down the course twice. During her first final performance one of the gates fell into the water and organisers had to postopne a race for a couple of minutes to set the gates into the right position. British paddler got the opportunity to start again as the last one in the final and she grabbed this opportunity with both hands. At the end reigning junior World Champion Eva Alina Hočevar from Slovenia picked up silver medal and Antonie Galuškova from Czech Republic was third.

"I am really happy with it. Especially coming back doing the rerun. I went to the start 20 minutes after," said the new junior K1W European Champion.

Next year the ECA Junior and U23 European Championships will not move far. Slovakia will host this sporting event again, this time in Liptovsky Mikulaš.

RESULTS

K1W Junior

1. Nikita Setchell GBR

2. Eva Alina Hočevar SLO

3. Antonie Galuškova CZE

C1M Junior

1. Miqel Trave ESP

2. Nicolas Gestin FRA

3. Flavio Micozzi ITA

K1W U23

1. Klaudia Zwolinska POL

2. Anna Faber GER