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Czechia and France were the two dominating nations of this year's ECA Junior and U23 Wildwater Canoeing European Championships. Czechs concluded the competition with a total of 49 medals, 23 of them were gold, and 13 silver and 13 bronze. France won 30 medals (9 gold, 18 silver, 3 bronze), and Italy won 15 medals (4 gold, one silver and 10 bronze). Altogether 11 nations won at least one medal in Dallenwil. Besides the top three nations, there were also athletes from Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain and Slovakia on the winner's podium.

 

On the final day of competition, Nora Koubaiti (FRA) won the first European Champion title of the day for her performance in junior women's K1 sprint final, where she crossed the finish line a little less than half a second faster than her teammate Camille Desmerger, while Anna Vikova (CZE) picked up bronze medal.

 

The French national anthem played also in honour of the new junior C1 European Champion Yann Cavenet, who was joined on the winner's podium by Ondrej Kvapil (CZE) and Janko Presecki (CRO).

 

Judih Perez (FRA) was crowned junior European Champion in sprint in women's canoe. Sandra Bergmannova and Magdalena Mala from Czechia were second and third respectively.

 

The three gold medals in junior competition went to the hands of Czech paddlers. Hynek Mika was the fastest in junior men's K1 event, where Aaron Schmitter won silver medal for the host nation Switzerland, and Nicolas Niederle - Gomez (GER) finished third.

 

David Sramek - Adam Slezak (CZE), Elouan Nogues - Timeo Ianotto (FRA) and Toman and Vaclav Retek (CZE) were the fastest three crews of the junior men's C2 final.

 

In the last junior individual sprint final of the day - women's C2 - Anna Vikova and Beta Beierova (CZE) won gold medal ahead of Camille Fourotte - Yaelle Bidault (FRA) and Ciara Maloney - Elsie Landsborough (GBR).

 

Also in the U23 sprint finals Czechia won half of the gold medals that were offered today. Klara Vankova (CZE) won the European Champion title in women's kayak final ahead of last year's U23 World Champion Ana Steblaj from Slovenia, while Italian Cecilia Panato won bronze medal in this event.

 

Matej Vanek (CZE) was the fastest in men's canoe final, where French representative Louis Passernig crossed the finish line a little less than a second behind the new European Champion. Bronze medal went to Swiss Jonah Muller to much joy of local fans who supported their athletes with the traditional Swiss bells.

 

Adam Ondrich and Samuel Vejnar (CZE) were the best in men's U23 canoe double sprint final, claiming gold medal ahead of their teammates Frantisek Salaj and Petr Smakal, while Swiss duo Jonah Muller - Cornel Bretscher took bronze medal.

 

Titouan Doreau (FRA) found the fastest lines in men's kayak U23 final. It was a very strong fight for the gold as Czech Vojtech Matejicek crossed the finish line just 0.077 seconds behind. Bronze medal went to Italy with Giacomo Abbiatti.

 

Cecilia Panato (ITA) won her second individual medal of the day in women's U23 C1 final. Anna Retkova (CZE) and Laura Fontaine (FRA) joined her on the winner's podium.

 

The last individual European Champions of this competition were Kerry and Emma Christie (GBR) who had almost two seconds faster time than their closest rivals Jana Strilkova and Simona Bundova from Czechia. Eider de Santos and Julia Padilla from Spain claimed bronze medal.

 

To conclude the 2024 ECA Junior and U23 Wildwater Canoeing European Championships nine wildwater sprint canoeing team events were on the programme. Here, Czechia took five gold medals, France three, and Swiss anthem played in honour of Cornel Bretscher, Luis Clavadetscher and Aaron Schmitter who were the best in men's K1 U23 team event.

 

France, Germany and Czechia won medals in MK1 junior team event; France, Germany and Italy were the best in WK1 junior team race, the best three teams in junior MC1 event were France, Czechia and Italy, and in junior WC1 race Czechia, France and Italy reached the winner's podium. In the U23 events, Switzerland celebrated gold medal in men's team kayak race, ahead of France and Slovenia; Czechia, France and Germany received medals in women's kayak U23 team event, men's and women's C1 event both ended with a win of Czechia ahead of France and Italy, and the same order was also in the men's U23 C2 team race.