News

On the Sava River, the 2023 ECA Open Canoe Slalom European Cup ended with three Slovenian and one Italian victory. Peter Kauzer (SLO) was the fastest in men’s kayak final to record another victory in his career. He was really happy to win again in Ljubljana – Tacen as the top podium position at home slipped through his fingers a couple of times lately. Italian Giovanni De Gennaro who was chasing his third consecutive win at the ECA Cup in Ljubljana, was second this time, 1.07 seconds behind Kauzer. Young Slovenian kayaker Jan Ločnikar, who won bronze medal at the Junior World Championships at this course in 2021, was third.

 

While the semi-final run was one of the selection races for Slovenian team, Kauzer did not need to worry, since he is pre-qualified to the team after the successful season 2022. Regardless, he was very motivated this weekend: “We don’t have many races left before the most important competitions of the season, and you need to use every race to try out certain things so you are well prepared for the main races. I am happy I had two good runs today, despite some mistakes, and I still could improve the final time, but the main thing is I had two clean runs without big mistakes.”

 

Former World Champion Eva Terčelj (SLO) was also happy with a confident win in women’s kayak final. Despite the wind, which at times swung the poles, the athlete from Ljubljana tackled the course without any problems or penalty seconds and was almost a second and a half faster than her opponents. Lena Teunissen (NED) managed to secure herself a second place, while Italian Stefanie Horn, the current European champion, came in third.

 

Marta Bertoncelli (ITA) was the best in women’s canoe final and was very emotional in the finish line. Italian team, too, had selection races in Ljubljana, and this win was very important for her. She was the only one in women’s canoe final who navigated through the course without any penalties and was at the end more than six seconds faster than any other finalist of this event. Alja Kozorog (SLO) was second and Elena Micozzi (ITA) third.

 

“I am really emotional at the moment, I don’t even know why. It is selection race, and yesterday I had a really bad day, and I had a really bad couple of years. The win is really good for the selection races, we have one more race left in Ivrea. I am really proud; we are working in the right direction. I had a really good feeling, it wasn’t perfect, but it was flowing, that’s what matters. I also had a lot of fun, which is really good,” said Marta Bertoncelli.

 

In the last final of the intense competition weekend on the Sava River – men’s canoe event - Luka Božič (SLO) took the win ahead of his teammate Benjamin Savšek, the Tokyo Olympic Champion. Savšek, who is number one on the ICF World Ranking list, had a touch and two seconds penalty, which pushed him away from the win. Božič, number two on the World Ranking list, was at the end 1.09 seconds faster than Savšek. Both Savšek and Božič are also pre-qualified to the Slovenian team. Italian Raffaello Ivaldi was third, 1.55 seconds behind the winner.

 

For both national teams the selections are not over yet. Italians have another race in Ivrea and Slovenians will fight for the places in the team in Krakow.