The unpredictability of kayak cross was on display in Tacen, Slovenia as races delivered shocks, big collisions and an historic medal for Japan.
France’s Mathurin Madore and Germany’s Andrea Herzog emerged victorious on a thrilling final day of the International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup.
There were also gold medals for Great Britain’s Joseph Clarke and France’s Camille Prigent in the kayak cross individual time-trials.
But arguably the story of the day came when Momoka Nagasu secured Japan’s first-ever medal in kayak cross.
Click here for startlists and live results from Tacen
Competing in only her second World Cup of her career, the world number 117 stunned the field to make the final before finishing second behind Herzog.
It summed up a day of shocks as some of the biggest names in kayak cross came unstuck on a challenging course.
Olympic gold medallist Noemie Fox of Australia was faulted in the time trials, while Czechia’s Tereza Kneblova, who is the leader in the overall standings in kayak cross, did not make it through heats.
Other in-form paddlers such as Prigent and Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods got knocked out in the semi-finals as Spain’s Maialen Chourraut and Herzog advanced.
They came up against Nagasu and Great Britain’s Nikita Setchell in an intriguing final.
While Setchell and Chourraut battled it out on the left gate, Herzog swept clear down the right and was followed by Nagasu.
Herzog powered to victory as Nagasu claimed silver and Setchell overcame Chourraut to win bronze.
“I didn’t expect to win today, not even to get into the final,” said a stunned Herzog.
“I was really, really happy to be in the semifinals so this is a crazy.
“I didn’t feel I had a good chance to win it going to the left up with (Setchell and Chourraut) going against each other so I tried to go on the right and the Japanese girl followed me.
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“It was a hard race to win but I did really well and then I was first, I don’t know how.”
There were also surprises in the men’s kayak cross with reigning world champion Clarke failing to advance from the heats and overall kayak cross leader Jan Rohrer of Switzerland getting knock out in the quarter-finals.
While others faltered, Madore seized his opportunity to win his first kayak cross crown of the season with an impressive performance.
Slovenia’s Jan Locnikar, ranked world number of 96 in kayak cross, sealed a shock silver in front of his home fans, while Canada’s Alex Baldoni also won his first World Cup medal with bronze as Great Britain’s Sam Leaver finished fourth.
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Earlier in the day, Clarke captured his first title since the birth of his second child after clocking a time of 50.35 in the kayak cross individual time-trials.
Czechia’s Jakub Krejci was second with 51.25 to remain top of the overall leaderboard, while Leaver came third in 51.30.
In the women’s kayak cross individual time-trials, Prigent struck gold again after crossing the line in 56.20.
Slovenia’s Eva Alina Hocevar finished in 57.46 for silver, while Evy Leibfarth of the United States also collected another medal this weekend with bronze after clocking 57.50.
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