In the fourth of our big interviews with the 2025 International Canoe Federation Canoe Federation World Cup Series winners, we spoke with men’s overall kayak champion Titouan Castryck of France.
Away from the heat of the battle, Titouan Castryck and Anatole Delassus are enjoying each other’s company as they paddle together.
They are the best of friends but also the fiercest of rivals on the international circuit.
The Castryck-Delassus duel was one of the most captivating storylines of this year’s International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup Series as the two Frenchmen battled it out for kayak glory.
Delassus was aiming to defend the overall crown in K1 but often came up short against his good friend Castryck over the five-leg series.
After finishing second three times this season, Delassus finally emerged victorious at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Final in Augsburg.
But Delassus had to settle for second in the overall standings, finishing 17 points short of Castryck who came out on top with three golds and a bronze to his name.
It’s a battle that looks set to intensify as they bid to secure their place at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
But it’s a relationship that Castryck insists he is keen to remain healthy as they strive to get the best out of each other.
“From a young age at club level, I was mostly going paddling to see my friends and now I am happy to have these kinds of relationships at a high level,” said Castryck.
“Back then, the people I was paddling with were from C1 which I really liked.
“But having someone who is doing the same event as me is way better and is working so well.
“Anatole has been pushing really hard for two years now, so I felt like he deserved (to win in Augsburg).
“For me, it’s a real blessing but at the same time it’s also a curse to keep this relationship healthy when you fight every day and every race for some title against such a good friend.
“Today, we paddled together for two sessions, so we are pushing each other to greatness but we also need to keep this relationship healthy.
“It’s not going to be an easy job when we are going to race for an Olympic quota for example, but I am sure we can make it work and I hope it is going to go well.”
Castryck has found a level of consistency this year that was not previously there.
Last year, Castryck produced a magnificent performance to claim Olympic silver on home waters but finished 12th in the overall standings for K1 in the 2024 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Series.
Castryck was known for producing flashes of brilliance but is now seen as a serial winner, delivering successive victories on the tour.
This improvement has been down to a change of approach for the 21-year-old.
Castryck is no longer looking to nail the perfect performance as he instead focuses on adapting to the conditions.
“I think I have changed my mind on a few things,” said Castryck.
“I have changed the way I think about the winning run and how I train for it.
“We have been working on getting things done, maybe not perfectly but making everything work even in bad conditions.
“I think that’s made a huge difference to my paddling overall.
“Every day on the water, I was always chasing the perfect line.
“Now I am still chasing it but I know that it is never going to be perfect, so I am adapting more and trying to focus on my response to problems rather than having this false impression of perfection.”
Castryck kicked off the World Cup season with victory in La Seu before triumphing in Prague and Tacen.
“I am really happy that I never won the same way,” said Castryck.
“In La Seu, for example, I felt that it was not perfect, but I did almost as good as I wished so I just had to chill out and play it safe for the last few gates to win.
“In Prague, I was not feeling that good so I just went all in and tried to push as hard as I could.
“It was far from as clean as I wished but it worked.
“It was the same in Tacen.
“It didn’t go the way I expected it to go but it worked really well.
“I am more than happy about the way I have been able to make it work in different scenarios.”
After sealing the overall World Cup title, Castryck then struck gold in the men’s K1 at the ICF Slalom World Championships in Sydney.
“When I got to Penrith, it was the race everyone wanted to win and the race I was really aiming for,” said Castryck.
“I went for it without overthinking.
“Maybe there was some confidence there from the past few races, but I was just going race to race and not being overconfident.
“It was my first major title. I consider major as the European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games.
“So this was a big step for me to reach.
“I have always had good moments over the years but this year everything worked so I am really happy to have this consistency throughout the season.”
Having picked up silvers at the European Championships and Olympic Games, Castryck is aiming to secure golds in both competitions.
It is hard to argue against him achieving such a feat as he continues to ride a wave of euphoria but now he is focused on enjoying some time on a surfboard.
“I am really enjoying paddling right now and I just want to make the most of it,” added Castryck.
“I want to spend some time at home.
“I have been away a lot this year, so I want to enjoy home a bit more.
“I used to surf when I was kid, so I have missed that.
“I got my opportunity to surf after the World Championships in Australia.
“I have become pretty bad, so I am looking forward to get back at it.”
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