European Canoe Association

Czechia and France remain Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom superpowers

23.7.2023

On the final day of the 2023 ECA Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom European Championships eight medal events were on the programme. Yohann Senechault (FRA), Gabriela Satkova (CZE), Filip Jiras (CZE), Neele Krech (GER), Anatole Delassus (FRA), Moritz Kremslehner (AUT), Doriane Delassus (FRA) and Bara Galuškova (CZE) were the gold medallists of the last competition day in Bratislava.

Canoeists in men's U23 event were the first ones to paddle down the challenging course at the Danube River in today's finals. 21-year-old Yohann Senechault (FRA) was the winner of men's U23 canoe final after producing a penalty free run. He stopped the clock at 93.59, which was 1.27 second faster than Vojtech Heger (CZE).

Czech canoeist Heger was the defending champion from the season 2022 when his home country in Česke Budejovice hosted the Junior and U23 European Championships, but this time he did not find the answer to the fast run of Senechault. Bronze went to Peter Linksted (GBR), who was 1.54 seconds behind French canoeist.

Gabriela Satkova (CZE) defended her U23 European Champion title in women's canoe. She was more than three and a half seconds faster than her rivals in the final. This is the third individual C1 medal at the U23 European Championships for Satkova. Besides the European Champion titles, she won in 2022 and 2023, she finished second in 2020. 21-year-old canoe slalom paddler from Brno was the 2020 Senior European Champion in women's canoe and 2019 Junior European Champion, and two times Junior European Championships bronze medallist.

Local favourite Zuzana Pankova (SVK), for whom this is the first season in the U23 category, finished the final in second place with penalty free run. French canoeist Doriane Delassus picked up bronze medal.

Filip Jiras won second gold medal of the day for Czechia in men's junior canoe final. 17-year-old canoeist from Brandys nad Labem was 0.60 seconds faster than French paddler Elouan Debliquy, while bronze medal also went to Czechia with Lukaš Kratochvil. Jiras had two penalty seconds added to his time, after the mistake in gate 19, while Debliquy concluded the course without any penalties. On the other hand, Kratochvil won bronze medal with a total of six penalty seconds.

Germany dominated in women's canoe junior final, winning gold and bronze medal. Neele Krech was crowned Junior European Champion after her run with two touches and four seconds added to her time. Silver medal went to Slovenia with Naja Pinterič, and bronze medal to Germany with Paulina Pirro, who was crowned European Junior Champion in kayak on Saturday for the third time in her career, and now she finished third, because of eight penalty seconds she picked up on her way. Pirro was 5.76 seconds behind her teammate Krech.

Kayak Cross gold medals to France, Austria and Czechia

In the last part of the competition programme paddlers competed in the kayak cross elimination phases (quarterfinal, semifinal, final). It was an excellent day for Delassus family from France. Anatole Delassus celebrated the win in men's U23 kayak cross final, ahead of Sam Leaver (GBR) and Vincent Delahaye (FRA). Doriane Delassus (FRA) was the best in women's U23 kayak cross event. She managed to cross the finish line ahead of Zuzana Pankova (SVK) and Emily Apel (GER).

In the junior men's kayak cross final young Austrian paddler Moritz Kremslehner won the European Champion title, Lukaš Kratochvil (CZE) and Martin Cornu (FRA) were second and third respectively. In the last event of the championships Bara Galuškova (CZE) took the gold medal in women's junior kayak cross final, Naja Pinterič (SLO) won her second silver medal of the day, and Hannah Rhodes (GBR) finished third.

There will be no rest for the young athletes. In mid-August, they will compete at the 2023 ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships in Krakow, on a course which hosted the canoe slalom competitions at the European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023.

The 2024 ECA Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom European Championships will also be organised in Poland, in Krakow's Kolna Sports Centre.

RESULTS - Day 4

MC1 U23

1. Yohann Senechault FRA

2. Vojtech Heger CZE

3. Peter Linksted GBR

WC1 U23

1. Gabriela Satkova CZE

2. Zuzana Pankova SVK

3. Doriane Delassus FRA

MC1 Junior

1. Filip Jiras CZE