The first ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup race of the year was held in Ljubljana - Tacen, Slovenia, under strict safety rules. To ensure the safety of everyone involved the race was closed for general public, so the usual loud Slovenian fans were missing in a cold and wet race weekend.
Despite the unusual circumstances we have witnessed some great racing and history written at Sava River. Sweden's Isak Ohrstrom won first ever canoe slalom World Cup medal for this country and it was gold! He was half a second faster than local favourite Peter Kauzer, while Brazil's Pedro Goncalves took the bronze medal.
It was a first World Cup win for Romane Prigent too. French kayaker took the gold ahead of her cousin Camille Prigent (2020 European Championships medallist) and American Evy Leibfarth.
On Sunday canoe finals were on and Luka Božič (SLO) finally got the taste of a win at major competition in a home country. Paddler who won medals both in C2 and C1 at all major competitions, so far won at a World Cup race in men's C1 event two years ago in La Seu d'Urgell and this year he finally reached the top position also in Tacen. He was 1.64 seconds faster than anyone else. Two French canoeists Nicolas Gestin and Jules Bernardet were second and third.
In women's C1 final Ana Satila from Brazil produced the best time despite picking up two penalty seconds. Lucie Prioux from France was second and Evy Leibfarth (USA) won her second bronze medal of the weekend in this event.
In extreme canoe slalom Alsu Minazova (RUS) took the gold medal ahead of her compatriot Daria Kuznetsova and Ria Šribar from United States of America, while in men's kayak extreme race Pedro Goncalves (BRA), Martin Stanovsky (KAZ) and Tren Long (USA) won the podium positions.
19.10.2020
