The Czech Republic has picked up four gold medals at the 2017 ECA Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom European Championships in Hohenlimburg, Germany, on Friday.
After the morning heats in C1W and C1M junior and U23 categories, athletes fought for the first European Champion titles in afternoon’s team events. Eleven European nations won medals in Friday’s team events.
The first team event of the day - women’s U23 kayak final - already brought a surprise. Lena Teunissen, Claudia Leenders and Maartje Otten won the gold medal for Netherlands. Only 0.26 seconds behind them was German team Selina Jones, Caroline Trompeter and Eva Pohlen. Klaudia Zwolinska, Sara Cwik and Edyta Rosiek won the bronze medal for Poland.
In men’s K1 U23 final France won in front of Slovenia and Austria. Mathurin Madore, Pol Oulen and Mathieu Desnos were 0.96 seconds faster than Žan Jakše, Vid Kuder Marušič and Martin Srabotnik. Both teams were on the podium also at Junior and U23 World Championships in Bratislava, with Slovenia also finishing second and France was third a few weeks ago. This time is was Austrians Mario Leitner, Felix Oschmautz and Matthias Weger who picked up bronze medal.
The most successful team of the day was the team from Czech Republic. They have won five medals. First gold medal of the day for them came in women’s junior kayak final. Lucie Nesnidalova, Antonie Galuškova and Katerina Bekova celebrated a win in front of French representatives Romane Prigent, Fanchon Janssen and Anais Bernardy. Russians Daria Kuznetsova, Elizaveta Terekhova and Daria Shaidurova were third.
The Czech anthem also played in honour of Tomaš Zima, Josef Zizala and Jan Barta who were the best in men’s junior kayak final. Valentin Luther, Tommaso Fasoli and David Ghisetti (ITA) were second and Germans Lukas Stahl, Noah Hegge and Janosch Unseld third.
The third gold medal of the day for Czech Republic was won by their C1W U23 team with Tereza Fišerova, Martina Satkova and Jana Matulkova. Nina Bizjak, Lea Novak and Alja Kozorog won silver medal for Slovenia and Slovakia with Simona Macekova, Monika Skachova and Eva Dieskova picked up the bronze medal.
French canoeists Cedric Joly, Lucas Roisin and Erwan Marchais celebrated a European Champion title in U23 category. Germans Timo Trummer, Florian Breuer and Leon Hanika won silver medal and Czech team (Vaclav Chaloupka, Lukaš Rohan and Jan Vetrovsky) finished third.
Slovakia won their first gold medal of the championships and second of the day in women’s C1 junior final. Simona Glejtekova, Sona Stanovska and Monika Skachova were only 0.07 seconds faster than Germans Nele Bayn, Lena Holl and Zoe Jakob. Daria Kuznetsova, Elizaveta Terekhova and Daria Shaidurova won their second bronze medal today. Russian girls were third also in kayak final.
In the last final of the day Vojtech Heger, Matyas Lhota and Jan Kaminsky (CZE) crossed the finish line with the best time. Miquel Trave, Eneko Auzmendi and Pau Echaniz (ESP) won silver medal and Kacper Sztuba, Szymon Zawadzki, Michal Franczak (POL) finished third.
Before the team events athletes paddled in the individual heats in C1W and C1M categories. Nadine Weratschnig and Viktoria Wolffhardt (both AUT) finished in places one and two in women’s U23 C1 event and Cecile Tixier (FRA) was third.
In men’s C1 U23 heats Vaclav Chaloupka of Czech Republic crossed the finish line in front of Cedric Joly (FRA) and reigning U23 World Champion Marko Mirgorodsky (SVK).
Fanchon Janssen (FRA), Eva Rihova (CZE) and Zoe Jakob (GER) were the fastest three in women’s Junior C1 heats, while Miquel Trave (ESP), Vojtech Heger (CZE) and Dmitrii Khramtsov (RUS) occupied the top three positions in junior C1M heats.
On Saturday the first individual semi-finals and finals will be held on the Lenne River. The competition day will start at 10:45 with semi-finals, and the finals in C2M, K1W and K1M will start at 15:00.
Results: https://siwidata.com/canoe123/eca?SessionKey=siwidata.1190 Livestreaming: https://www.youtube.com/CanoeEurope
