Paralympic silver medallists Markus Swoboda and Natalia Lagutenko  were back on the winners list on Thursday at the ICF Sprint Canoe World Cup 2 in Szeged, Hungary.

Ukraine’s Lagutenko won the gold medal in the VL2 women, while Austria’s Markus Swoboda won his heat of KL 200.

Swoboda revealed after the race he made a conscious decision after winning silver in Rio that he would start taking life a bit easier.

He certainly looked relaxed on Thursday at the ICF Sprint Canoe World Cup 2 in Szeged, easily winning his heat of the KL 200. Gone was the close-cropped haircut, he now has a beard, and…

“I’ve had a lazy winter, I’ve put on some weight,” Swoboda said.

“I didn’t expect to do so little, but maybe I just got lazy. I’m still happy to come out in front. But maybe that’s because of my new boat.”

Swoboda’s decision to take things a little easier was made partly through disappointment, partly through reality.

He had dominated the KL2 for a long time, winning six world titles. But in 2016 Australia’s Curtis McGrath went past him, twice – at the World Championships in Duisburg, and again at the Paralympics.

“I was not disappointed in my result, but I was disappointed in myself. I didn’t really improve in two years of paddling, Swoboda said on Thursday.

“I said after the Paralympics that I would take a step back, and maybe not be so strict on myself. Because when I did less training, I did nearly the same times as I did after.

“So I think I’ll just take it easy for a while and see how that works out for me.”

Russia’s Larisa Volik won the women’s VL3 final.

The ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup 2 in Szeged continues on Friday.

Pic by Balint Vekassy