La Seu d'Urgell is getting ready for the big canoeing festival that is coming this September. Spanish venue will host canoe slalom and wildwater canoeing World Championships and this weekend some of the world's best Wildwater paddlers are in La Seu for the ECA Wildwater Canoeing European Cup to test the course and their form.
Many teams have used the opportunity of the first Wildwater Canoeing Copa Pireneus to come to Spain and do training sessions on the course which will host World Championships late in September. On Saturday competitiors started in ECA Wildwater Sprint Canoeing European Cup and on Sunday ICF's sprint cup will follow.
As usual men's K1 category had the most competitiors on the start line and the win went to Slovenia thanks to Nejc Žnidarčič, current World and European Champion in wildwater sprint canoeing. He set the fastest time already in first heats run, so he was automatically qualified for the final. In the decisive run of the day Žnidarčič produced 0.68 seconds faster time than French kayaker Maxence Barouh who was second. Anže Urankar won the second medal of the day for Slovenia finihing third in this event.
In women's kayak final European Champion Melanie Mathys from Switzerland took the win in front of French kayaker Charlene LeCorvaisier and German representative Sabine Fuesser.
Wins in remaining three events went to France. Louis Lapointe was unbeatable in men's canoe final. He was 0.40 seconds faster than Czech canoeist Ondrej Rolenc and Quentin Dazeur from France was third.
Elsa Gaubert from France won in women's canoe final ahead of Italian paddler and European Champion Cecilia Panato. Margot Beziat from France was third.
Tony Debray and Louis Lapointe were the fastest crew in men's C2 final. Slovak twins, multiple Olympic, World and European Championships medallists in canoe slalom Peter and Pavol Hochschorner were second and Nicolas Sauteur - Tom Ydoux from France were third.
Photo: Facebook page Canoe Slalom - La Seu
1.6.2019
