News

In the 200-metre heats, young athletes from Italy stood out. In the women's U23 canoe event, Olympia Della Giustina posted the best time of the day. The defending European champion from last year, Ukrainian Iryna Fedoriv, recorded the third-best time overall, with Moldovan Elena Glizan placing between the Italian and the Ukrainian. Riccardi Caporuscio delivered the fastest run of the day in the junior men's canoe 200-metre event, while Sofia Zucca was the quickest competitor of the day in the women's junior kayak 200-metre event.

 

Two Ukrainian paddlers also impressed. Yelyzaveta Vozniuk recorded the best time of the day in the women's Junior C1 200, while Ivanna Dyachenko was the fastest in the women's U23 K1 200 event.

 

In the men's U23 K1 200 race, Serbian paddler Strahinja Dragosavljevic, this year's senior European champion from Racice, posted the best time. The second-fastest of the day was Slovenia's Anze Pikon, last year’s U23 European champion over 200 metres, who is defending his title. Dragosavljevic, who was the junior European champion last year, is competing in the U23 category for the first time. In the event where he shone last year – the men's Junior K1 200 – the best time of the day this time was set by Hungarian Marcell Gazdag.

 

In the men's U23 canoe 200 metres event, the fastest time of the first round was recorded by Polish paddler Juliusz Kitewski.

 

Earlier in the day, the semifinals over 500 and 1000 metres were held, giving further insight into which athletes will be fighting for top honours in Saturday and Sunday's finals at this year's European Championships.

 

The 2025 ECA Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint European Championships continue on Saturday with the first finals and remaining semifinal races.