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Friday’s programme at Labe Arena Racice, located north of the Czech capital Prague, featured semifinals in which athletes competed for the final spots in the medal races on Saturday and Sunday. Many well-known names in canoe sprint and paracanoe, who did not secure direct qualification to the finals on Thursday, were in action.

 

In the men's C1 1000m semifinal, the final three spots for the A final were claimed by Carlo Tacchini (ITA), Balazs Adolf (HUN), and Pablo Crespo (ESP). In the women’s K1 1000m event, Hanna Pavlova (UKR), Kitty Schiphorst (NED), and Pernille Knudsen (DEN) advanced from the semifinals.

 

A highlight for local fans was the men's K1 1000m semifinal, which featured Olympic champion and Czech favourite Josef Dostal. The 32-year-old from Prague lived up to expectations as one of the top medal contenders and comfortably won his semifinal to secure a place in Saturday’s A final. Joining him are Inigo Pena (ESP), Samuel Balaz (SVK), second semifinal winner Thorbjorn Rask (DEN), Artuur Peters (BEL), and Andrea Schera (ITA).

 

In the shortest distance, the men’s K1 200m, Badri Kavelashvili (GEO), 2024 European champion Oleksandr Zaitsev (UKR), and Roberts Akmens (LAT) advanced to the final. In the women’s K1 200m, defending champion Anna Lucz (HUN) had to go through the semifinals but won her race to secure a chance to defend her gold medal. She will be joined in the final by Sara Ouzande (ESP) and Katharina Diedrichs (GER). In the men's C1 200m semifinal, Ilie Sprincean (ROU), Gia Gabedava (GEO), and David Toepel (GER) took the top three spots, while Nicolae Craciun (ITA), who won silver at the 2019 European Games, missed out on the final.

 

In the men's K4 500m, teams from Portugal, Lithuania, and Ukraine made it to the medal race. In the women’s K4 500m, crews from Germany, Great Britain, and Denmark reached the final.

 

In the men's C1 500m semifinal, Wiktor Glazunow (POL), Stefanos Dimopoulos (GRE), and Maniel Fontan (ESP) advanced to the final. In the women’s K1 500m, Lucrezia Zironi (ITA), Barbora Betlachova (CZE), and Emma Russel (GBR) progressed. In the men's K1 500m, successful semifinalists included Josef Dostal (CZE), Tom Liebscher-Lucz (GER), Marko Dragosavljevic (SRB), Alex Graneri (ESP), Gunnar Eide (NOR), and Thorbjorn Rask (DEN).

 

Three more events were held in the semifinal stage. In the men's C2 500m, the Czech Fuksa brothers, Zustautas – Korobov (LTU), and Mazovskyi – Rybachok (UKR) advanced. In the women’s K2 500m, duos Fernandez – Lazkano (ESP), Matthiesen – Milthers (DEN), and Peters – Broekx (BEL) secured the final spots. In the men's K2 500m, Burgo – Freschi (ITA), Kukharyk – Trunov (UKR), and Sikkens – Peters (BEL) progressed.

 

Four paracanoe events also took place on the second day. In the men's VL3 200m, Mirko Nicoli (ITA), Volodymyr Dziubynskyi (UKR), and Javier Reja (ESP) reached the final. In the women’s KL3 200m semifinal, Felicia Laberer (GER), Nikoletta Molnar (HUN), and Lindsay Thorpe (GBR) qualified. In the men's KL2 200m, Ricardo Junquera and Javier Reja (ESP) and Krzysztof Stanio (POL) advanced. In the men's KL3 200m, Andrii Syvykh (UKR), Nicolas Martinez (ESP), and Erik Kiss (HUN) reached the final.

 

Saturday’s programme at the 2025 ECA Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe European Championships will feature the first medal events. A total of 18 sets of medals will be awarded in canoe sprint and paracanoe on the first day of finals.