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Siblings Eva Alina and Ziga Lin Hocevar from Slovenia wrote history on Sunday in Krakow both winning European Champion titles in their respective events. First, it was Eva Alina Hocevar who took the win in women's U23 canoe final with a superb and penalty free final run. She was the only one below 100 seconds and won three seconds ahead of Ellis Miller from Great Britain who finished second. Bronze medal went to Slovakia with Emanuela Luknarova.

 

Eva Alina Hocevar has a very good season this year. She did well at the Olympic Games in Paris, won silver and bronze medal at U23 World Championships in July, won gold and silver team medals at senior European Championships in Ljubljana. Here in Krakow she finished third in kayak, and now added European Champion title to her name.

 

Even more impressive is the season of her younger brother Ziga Lin Hocevar (SLO). The 17-year-old was crowned Junior European Champion in men's canoe for the first time in his career today, while he became senior European Champion in May at his home course in Ljubljana. He also won World Cup race this year, became Junior World Champion in kayak and canoe, won a medal in kayak cross and team events.

 

In today's final, Hocevar picked up four penalty seconds like his main rival Martin Cornu from France, but was a bit over three seconds faster than Cornu to claim the title. Hocevar had a company from his team on the podium, as Matej Trojansek (SLO) took bronze medal for his biggest sporting success so far.

 

This was not the end of the successful day for Hocevar family. Ziga Lin was again at the podium in men's junior kayak cross event, where he finished third. He crossed the finish line behind Slovak paddler Filip Duda and Czech Jachym Burger.

 

French anthem was played twice on Sunday. In the first final of the day, Mewen Debliquy succeed his teammate Yohann Senechault on the throne and was crowned men's U23 canoe European Champion. Senechault, the defending champion from 2023, was eliminated in the semifinal, finishing 14th. In the final run Debliquy stopped the clock at 88.40 with a penalty free run. Czech canoeist Adam Kral had a touch and two penalty seconds which pushed him to the second position (+1.77), and Kurts Rozentals from Great Britain was third (+4.21).

 

Valentyna Kocirova, bronze medallist of this year's Junior and U23 World Championships in Liptovsky Mikulas, was the best in women's junior canoe final and became the new European Champion. In a tight final, she finished the race 0.13 seconds ahead of Arina Kontchakov (GBR) who received silver medal, while bronze medal went to the hands of German paddler Christin Heydenreich (+2.62).

 

The second gold medal of the day for France came in women's U23 kayak cross final. Doriane Delassus took the win ahead of Great Britain's Lois Leaver and Czech Tereza Kneblova. Delassus and Leaver won medals already in individual kayak cross event, they now just exchanged their positions.

 

Spain won gold medal thanks to Miquel Ferran who was the best in men's U23 kayak cross final. Here, Sam Leaver from Great Britain won silver medal for another success of a canoeing family, this time the Leaver family. Bronze medal was won by French paddler Anatole Delassus, who was also able to share his joy with his sister Doriane at this European Championships. Delassus family will return home with a total of six medals, like Hocevar family, while Leaver, Debliquy and Kneblova siblings won four medals each.

 

The last gold medal of the championships went to Germany with Mina Blume who was the best in women's junior kayak cross final. Here, Arina Kontchakov (GBR) won silver medal, her second medal of the day, while bronze medal went to Spain with Haizea Segura.

 

France topped the medal table of the 2024 ECA Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom European Championships with a total of 20 medals (9 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze). Czechia won 13 medals (4, 6, 3), Great Britain 12 (3, 6, 3), Slovenia 9 (3, 1, 5), Germany 5 (1, 2, 2), Italy 4 (1, 1, 2), Spain 3 (1, 1, 1), Slovakia 3 (1, 0, 2), Poland 1 (1, 0, 0), Switzerland 1 (0, 1, 0) and Ukraine 1 (0, 1, 0).