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The canoe slalom course in Reunion is buzzing with athletes preparing for the season 2024 in Indian Ocean. This weekend ICF Ranking race was held on the course with strong international participation. There were six medal events organised over three competition days and German Elena Lilik medalled in all three women’s events.

 

25-year-old Elena Lilik produced a winning run in women’s canoe final, where she stopped the clock at 108.18, which was 0.79 seconds faster than Andrea Herzog, her colleague from German national team. Herzog was faster on the course, however four penalty seconds were too much for the top podium position and she had to settle with second position. Frech canoeist Laurene Roisin too had two touches on the course and consequently four penalty seconds. She was 5.73 seconds behind Lilik.

 

Lilik later again reached the podium, finishing second in kayak final. Her teammate Ricarda Funk, the reigning Olympic champion, navigated through the gates with the fastest time in the final. She crossed the finish line 1.59 seconds faster than Elena Lilik. In an all German podium Emily Apel, younger sister of Elena Lilik, reached the third position. With two penalty seconds Emily Apel crossed the finish line almost eight and a half seconds behind Ricarda Funk.

 

Elena Lilik continued her successful performances in afternoon’s kayak cross competition. She successfully advanced through the elimination phases to the grand final, where she showed excellent skills and crossed the finish line ahead of two French paddlers Angele Hug and Coline Charel.

 

The only French win of the day came in men’s canoe final. Young, 21-year-old, Yohann Senechault managed to win with a penalty free run. Experienced German canoeist Sideris Tasiadis, two times Olympic medallist, came the closest to young Frenchman and was 1.86 seconds behind. Another young French canoeist Titouan Estanguet was third (+5.44).

 

Gelindo Chiarello (SUI) was the winner of men’s kayak final. Chiarello, whose specialty is kayak but he also used to compete in canoe, crossed the finish line a little over half a second faster than his closest rival, Isak Ohrstrom from Sweden, who was second. Czech kayaker Vit Prindis, two times European Champion and 2022 World Champion, finished third.

 

Swiss paddlers dominated in men’s kayak cross final. Jan Rohrer finished the final run ahead of his teammate Dmitri Marx, while France’s Boris Neveu took third position.