World champions Joe Clarke of Great Britain and Veronika Vojtova of the Czech Republic showed they are still the athletes to catch after winning kayak cross gold on the final day of the International Canoe Federation world cup in Slovenia on Sunday.
Clarke is a two-time world champion, having won in Bratislava in 2021 and again in Augsburg last year. He showed his love for the new Olympic discipline with another strong performance on the Tacen Whitewater Course on Sunday.
“It was a really good day, tough in a couple of the rounds, it’s always tough, so to come out on top is really fantastic,” Clarke said.
“I wasn’t supposed to be doing this World Cup, I decided to do it last minute. It’s Father’s Day back in the UK, so I’m missing my wife and son terribly.
“This makes it all worthwhile, the last race before we depart from the international circuit for a little bit. I think that was a really good final to watch, kayak cross at its best.”
Clarke took the gold ahead of Frenchman Anatole Delassus, with Germany’s Stefan Hengst third. It was the exact same podium from last year’s world titles.
Covid and a lack of team opportunities has conspired to keep Czech Veronika Vojtova away from international competition since she became the women’s kayak cross world champion in 2019. On Sunday she showed she has lost none of her ability, or her tactical edge, to take another gold.
“It’s amazing because it’s a new change for me, I’m so happy that I can start in the world cups and the world championships,” Vojtova said.
“I like kayak cross, but it was hard after the canoe slalom because I don’t have any energy left. It’s especially hard for the final, because we don’t have a long break before the race.
Slovenia’s Eva Tercelj gave the big home crowd reasons to get excited by taking the silver medal, while reigning world champion Jessica Fox took the bronze.
The ICF World Cup season will take a break now, returning for world cup 4 in La Seu, Spain, at the end of August.
RESULTS
WOMEN’S KAYAK CROSS
- VOJTOVA Veronika (CZE)
- TERCELJ Eva (SLO)
- FOX Jessica (AUS)
MEN’S KAYAK CROSS
- CLARKE Joseph (GBR)
- DELASSUS Anatole (FRA)
- HENGST Stefan (GER)
Pics by Bence Vekassy
