The first ECA European Championships of the year is the Canoe Slalom championships in Ivrea, Italy. The first day of competitions brought heats in women's and men's kayak where Germany's Cindy Poeschel and Italy's Giovanni De Gennaro produced the fastest times in their respective events.
Around 200 athletes from 27 European countries are fighting this week at the 2021 ECA Canoe Slalom European Championships for the medals as well as the remaining spots to participate at the Tokyo Olympic Games, as Championships serves as European Olympic Qualifier.
On the opening day Cindy Poeschel from Germany produced the fastest time in women's kayak heats. She stopped the clock at 86.59, making 1.37 seconds faster time than her teammate Ricarda Funk, who finished second. Camille Prigent from France was third, 1.55 seconds behind Poeschel.
In was the local favourite and Olympian Giovanni De Gennaro who showed the best run in men's kayak heats. Italian was 1.58 seconds faster than Bradley Forbes-Cryans from Great Britain and 1.78 seconds faster than last year's European Champion Jiri Prskavec from Czech Republic.
The heats were fatal for several excellent kayakers. The most prominent among them European and World Championships medallist Mateusz Polaczyk from Poland, French kayaker Benjamin Renia, Mathieu Doby from Belgium, Suisse Lukas Werro ...
On Friday morning, the heats in women's and men's canoe will be held, while in the afternoon at 13:00 team events will follow.
RESULTS
Heats WK1
1. Cindy Poeschel GER 86.59
2. Ricarda Funk GER +1.37
3. Camille Prigent FRA +1.55
Heats MK1
1. Giovanni De Gennaro ITA 74.93
2. Bradley Forbes-Cryans GBR +1.58
3. Jiri Prskavec CZE +1.78
6.5.2021
