Pernille Hostrup and Philip Knudsen won gold medals for Denmark and Eryk Wilga and Krystian Kubica - Alex Wilga won two gold medals for Poland in Friday's competition of the 2024 ECA Canoe Marathon European Championships in Poznan, Poland.
Danish kayaker Philip Knudsen defended his European Champion title from Slavonski Brod in men's U23 kayak event of the Canoe Marathon European Championships in Poznan. It took him 1:57:38.60 to complete the 26,20 kilometres long course on the Malta Lake and to claim the 2024 European Champion title. Spanish paddler Joaquin Iglesias won silver medal (+48.24), while bronze medal went to Hungary with Csanad Sellyei (+48.79).
Denmark celebrated European Champion title in women's U23 event as well. The course was 22,60 kilometres long and it was Pernille Hostrup who celebrated European Champion title at the end of very tight race. Two Hungarian paddler Panna Sinko and Panna Csepe were second and third respectively and less than two seconds divided the top three competitors of the event. Sinko was 1.21 seconds behind and Csepe 1.86 seconds behind Hostrup.
Eryk Wilga, Polish canoeist, was the best in men's C1 U23 race where he set the time 1:36:23.10. Hungarian Mihaly Pluzsik was second (+38.52) after five laps, four portages and one small lap, while Kevin Longo from Spain won bronze medal in this event (+1:42.77).
German representative Annette Wehrmann was the best in women's U23 canoe event (1:06:40.76). She was more than a minute and a half faster than Czech canoeist Alzbeta Veverkova (+1:39.15) in second place, and Lili Matkovics from Hungary finished the race in third position (+2:07.61).
Maria Gomes from Portugal was the best in women's junior K1 event, where participants paddled on a 19 kilometres long course. Portuguese paddler stopped the clock at 1:37:30.75, which was 4.38 seconds faster than Karen Andersen from Denmark who picked up silver medal, while Beatrice Candela from Italy finished third (+28.55).
Polish duo Krystian Kubica - Alex Wilga were unbeatable in men's C2 junior event. On a 15,40 kilometres long course they crossed the finish line 1:08.92 ahead of Hungarians Zsombor Szegi and Bonifac Koleszar who won silver medal. Bronze medal was won by Ukrainians Artem Bocheliuk and Maksym Lavrenchuk (+2:12.23).
There were also four demonstration paracanoe events on the programme on Friday. Austrian Markus Swoboda (1:01:13.47) won ahead of British paddler Jonathan White (9:49.76) and Danish representative Frederik Sondergaard (+13:36.13) in men's KL2 event over 11,80 kilometres long course. In men's KL3 race, which was of the same length, Briton Timothy Lodge (1:01:18.29) won ahead of German Eric Kilank (+6:38.95) and Krzysztof Stanio (+11:12.17) from Poland. In women's VL3 event over 8,20 kilometres Polish athlete Monika Kukla (1:20:59.32) won ahead of her teammate Justyna Regucka who was 14:35.49 behind. Karolina Bronowicz (POL) competed in women's VL1 event and set the time 1:23:40.49.
On Saturday, the championships continues with senior women's and men's C1and K1 events, as well as men's K1 junior event, women's K2 junior event.
26.7.2024
