After five days of competition, 288 races and almost 1,000 athletes from 65 nations in action, it’s time to reflect on a thrilling time in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal.
As expected, the International Canoe Federation Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships delivered many memorable moments as paddlers battled for the 44 titles that were on offer.
Looking back at the action-filled week of racing, we pick out five things we learned in Montemor-o-Velho.
Click here for all the results from Montemor-o-Velho
Ecker boosts US hopes for LA28
With the new Olympic cycle now in motion, excitement is starting to build for Los Angeles 2028. For paddlers from the United States, it’s an extra incentive to star on home waters in three years’ time. It’s a huge target for Jones Ecker who could be one of the host nation’s biggest hopes of sprint success. Ecker was on fire in Montemor-o-Velho, defending his men’s kayak single U23 1000m title with a stunning performance from lane one before producing another emphatic display to win gold in the men’s K1 U23 500m. Ecker has already graced the Olympic stage having made the final of the men’s kayak double 500m with Aaron Small in Paris last year, and he now looks like he could be a force in the K1. The 22-year-old was not alone in getting on the podium for the US with canoeist Audrey Harper picking up two bronze medals.
Lowry is Canada’s canoe queen-in-waiting
One year after Katie Vincent was crowned Olympic champion, Canada might have already found themselves an heir to the throne. Aged just 17, Isabel Lowry showcased her great promise by capturing a hat-trick of junior world titles. Lowry’s first gold came in the women’s canoe double junior 200m when she teamed up with Amelie Laliberte. One day later, Lowry was collecting two more gold medals. After powering to the women’s canoe single junior 200m title, Lowry then inspired Canada to victory in the women’s canoe four junior 500m. Canada were trailing Hungary before Lowry, leading from the front, helped turned things around. Lowry, Laliberte, Grace Theunissen and Madeleine Beauregard saw off Hungary and Ukraine to seal gold. Canada also tasted success in the kayak with Toshka Besharah claiming the women’s K1 U23 200m crown.
Casadei ready to set Milan rocking
Confidence is a wonderful thing in sport and Italy’s Gabriele Casadei has plenty of it. Casadei was in cruise control in Montemor-o-Velho as he eased to two gold medals. He was a class above the rest of the field as he won the men’s C1 U23 500m title by two seconds. The following day, Casadei then triumphed by four seconds as he swept clear for a dominant men’s C1 U23 1000m victory. When speaking with Casadei after his second gold medal, it did not take long before he turned his focus to Milan and the prospect of becoming senior world champion on home waters. Casadei won’t be competing in C1 though. He will instead focus all his efforts on winning gold in the men’s C2 500m with Carlo Tacchini to add to their historic Olympic silver medal. With two gold medals in the bag after his Montemor-o-Velho victories, Casadei will arrive in Milan oozing with confidence and looking to help propel Tacchini to the world title.
Hungary continue to lead the way
While Casadei’s Italian team will be pleased to come away with a 13-medal haul, it’s Hungary that sit at the top of the overall standings. The powerhouse sprint nation accumulated 21 medals including eight golds, eight silvers and five bronzes. Much of Hungary’s success came in the juniors with five golds, five silvers and three bronzes demonstrating the strength of the country’s production factory. Year after year, Hungary continue to produce top sprint paddlers and there appears to be a new generation ready to make the step up. Three of Hungary’s golds came in the kayak four, winning both the men’s and women’s junior titles and the men’s U23 crown. Also in the kayak, Zoltan Ivan Mircse and Vilmos Szabo stormed to the men’s K2 junior 500m title, while canoe golds came from David Barna in the men’s C1 junior 200m and Zsombor Marenec-Dozsa in the men’s C1 junior 1000m.
View this post on Instagram
Mixed relay races provide great drama
Hungary’s final two golds came in the mixed relay 5000m races which ensured a fantastic climax to competition in Montemor-o-Velho. After junior titles for China’s Haozhe Zhang and Qinghua Liang in the canoe and Italy’s Leonardo Candela and Sofia Zucca in the kayak, Hungary starred in the U23. David Uhrin and Borka Zagyvai won the canoe crown before Lorincz Halmy and Eszter Julia Rendessy combined to win kayak gold. There was plenty of drama throughout with all four races filled with incidents to keep fans on the edge of their seats. The changeovers delighted the packed crowd in the main stand as paddlers entered the portage, dropped their boats and ran over to tag their teammates. There were so many thrills and spills, it was hard to take your eyes off it. The final relay race was captivating as the lead changed several times before Hungary got the better of hosts Portugal, with Rendessy producing a strong 100m to overcome Maria Gomes to emerge victorious. It’s the third time the mixed relay has featured at the World Championships. and the races continue to deliver great drama.
Pictures by Bence Vekassy
Full coverage of the ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
Join Planet Canoe's YouTube channel for €9.99 per month to unlock members-only content and features
Read YouTube's frequently asked questions for more details.
Related links
