After a very successful first World Cup in Poznan (06 – 09 May 2011), the athletes are ready to move on to another very unique town and venue – Račice, Czech Republic! The evergreen city is more rural than it is urban with its green meadows, bumpy, winding and narrow streets. This tiny town of 308 boasts one of the most renowned flatwater courses and will host over 400 athletes from 40 countries from 20 -22 May 2011 more than doubling the population for the weekend. This event is organized by the Czech Canoe Federation.

As the World Cup series builds up, more athletes and teams join the circuit. Expected in Račice are improved performances by athletes who had considered the first World Cup to be a continuation of their training programme and a “barometer” of where they stood in their preparation alongside their competitors. The Canadian Team will join in Račice and the British Women making competition more exciting.

Men’s K1 1000m superstar Tim Brabants (GBR) who for the first time competed in the K4 1000m had a subpar weekend in Poznan and told the ICF:

I am joining this event to help strengthen the K4 crew in hopes of qualifying for London 2012, but I am just coming off an injury and the first race is just to work towards getting stronger. 

This sentiment was mirrored by several of the other athletes interviewed; indeed Brigitte Hartley (RSA) also had a poor start to the season, eventually pulling out of her races that weekend because of illness.

Max Hoff (GER) decided to stay in Germany and give himself a few more weeks to rid himself of an injury and finalise his preparations for the season.

Several, if not all the athletes present in Poznan will be in Račice; those not fully fit two weeks ago, will definitely want to be in the mix of things. Stars to look out for? Men’s K1 1000m Aleh Yurenia (BLR) and Men’s C1 1000m Vadim Menkov (UKR); they have acquired a winning habit, but how long can these two continue to “own” the course? In the Men’s K1 200m Ed McKeever (GBR) has kicked off his season in an amazing manner, but can Ronny Rauhe (GER) challenge?

Relatively unknown, the Austrian duo of Yvonne Schuring and Viktoria Schwarz took Poznan by storm, winning the Women’s K2 200m and gaining a Bronze medal in the K2 500m. How good are they? Yvonne was the only athlete in Poznan to declare that the wind aided and did not impede their race, saying “It helps my strokes; I feel it (the wind) helped our race.” Elsewhere, Teresa Portela (POR) also did not have the weekend in Poznan she had hoped for, but took it in good stride and pledged greater fitness and readiness in Racice. No doubt the same could be said for Olympic Champion Inna Osypenko-Radomska (UKR) who was always in the “mix” of things but never quite got past the frontrunners and onto the podium, but the fans know not to count Inna out as she always turns it on when it matters most and that must be in Szeged at the World Championships!

Belarus and Poland claimed the most medals in the first World Cup but it was Belarus that took first place, Poland second and France third. Can the team from Belarus keep their position in the Račice, can the Polish team be contenders out of Poland, will Portugal finally make it to the top of the medals table... or will the season’s newcomers Canada and Italy, with one additional month of preparation blow the race open?