John Gregory | @gregiej | Sportscene - After 25 years the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships returns to American shores. Here are our 10 predictions on what to expect for the Deep Creek Worlds, with insights from paddlers and organisers. Everything points to it being a thrilling race.

Prediction 1 – What to expect at Deep Creek

These Deep Creek Worlds in McHenry, Maryland will take international canoe slalom to a new level of awareness. While the Olympics may be the biggest show on earth it has a limited number of nations and athletes participating. The competitive field is much greater at Worlds and athletes regard it as the ultimate test in the sport.

Barcelona Olympic C2 champion and Director of USA Canoe-Kayak Joe Jacobi described the sentiment and building excitement; “We’ve already seen the enthusiasm of the top slalom athletes who came to Maryland in July to train on the channel at ASCI [Adventure Sports Centre International] – they are really excited about the international circuit bringing them to the United States. But I think for organizers, coaches, officials and federation leaders who attended the 1989 Worlds in some capacity, this event will re-kindle positive feelings and memorable moments about the sport – it will be a good reminder about what people truly enjoy about the sport as well as the unique contributions of the United States.”

The organisers of the Deep Creek Worlds have attracted a vast number of sponsors and cast a wide media net among some of the biggest media outlets in the World. Bob Campbell, Technical Director of Deep Creek 2014 said; “You can expect to see a particularly physical style of racing, as there are many sections of the course where the athletes will use their strength to attempt to set themselves apart from the competition.”

As a spectator visit the Deep Creek website www.deepcreek2014.com/visitors/home for detailed information about what to expect at this prestigious venue.

Prediction 2 – The course

In a poll among the paddlers the general consensus is that Deep Creek is quite unique. Some liken it to aspects of Foz do Iguacu, Liptovsky Mikulas, La Seu d’Urgell or Wausau which is also in the States and site of the U23 Worlds in 2012. Here is some of what they said:

• “It’s fairly unique, but perhaps Foz do Iguacu” David Florence (GBR)
• “For some characteristics it reminds me of the first part of Foz do Iguacu but the wide eddies and the slow water is pretty unique” Daniele Molmenti (ITA)
• “It’s completely different to all European or Oceania courses I know. It feels more like a natural course” Sebastien Schubert (GER)
• “For me Deep Creek is different” Maialen Chourraut (ESP)
• “It’s in a class of its own, I guess it’s a little like La Seu with how the water is” Mallory Franklin (GBR)
• “It feels a little like Seu here but really it’s a very different course to any other international venues I’ve paddled, there is no one character to describe the whole course, each section has a different feeling” Ros Lawrence (AUS)
• “Wausau is quite similar but that’s not hugely well known. It’s quite unique because of how wide it is. Liptovsky maybe” Thomas Quinn (GBR)
• “I don’t think there is one. The course is unique and unpredictable” Casey Eichfeld (USA)
• “A mixture between the surges on Augsburg and the slower moving water of Liptovsky” Joe Clarke (GBR)

Finally, Ireland’s Aisling Conlan describes parts of the course; “Lots of stoppers. The first big drop is like the big drop in Wausau. It feels like there are so many combinations of moves that you could do on every feature. It’ll be really interesting to see what course they can set for the race!! The second main drop on the corner is a really nice wave but it’s been changing. Quite shallow this makes it hard to cross and not hit your paddles on the bottom. This will be very difficult for C1s to use their cross bow on the top wave”.

All of this reinforces that there will be close attention paid by the paddlers to the demonstration runs for the different courses set for the heats and then semi-final.

Prediction 3 – Athletes on the athletes

Sportscene asked the paddlers to nominate who they considered the likely podium finishes as well as the wildcards. To make it fair they could not nominate in their own racing category. Here is some of what they said.

Luuka Jones (NZL) herself a finalist at the Tacen World Cup proposes “Sebastien Combo [FRA], looking good this year. It would be cool if Michal Smolen [USA] medalled at home. Eichfeld [USA] a wildcard in C1 has had some fast runs this year. Lots of wildcards in K1M, it’s more open than other classes. Though I think the top ranked will be on the podium i.e. Boris Nevue [FRA], Vit Prindis [CZE], Sebastian Schubert [GER] etc”.

Meanwhile, Alexandre McGee (CAN) highlighted Luka Bozic [SLO], Michal Smolen [USA] and Klauss/ Peche [FRA]. “What makes Luka stand out for me is that he has only recently switched to racing C1 internationally and has been able to show that he has the potential to lead in C1 and C2. Michal stands out for me because he is such a young upcoming athlete; he has had a good season so far, with being U23 world champion. He has definitely shown that he has the potential of making the top three here in Deep Creek. Klaus/ Peche are such a strong boat but they have never medalled at senior worlds so far. They got gold in Augsburg so they’re showing that they are in good shape for the upcoming worlds.”

Aisling Conlan (IRL) adds “I think Mathieu Doby [BEL] for the K1M because he’s got a very fluid style and is getting better each season; one to watch here and for Rio 2016! In C1M I think Casey Eichfeld [USA] as he’s a physically strong paddler and surprising 2nd in Augsburg Quals.”

Finally, a wild card himself after silver in the Augsburg World Cup final Britain’s Joe Clarke identified team-mate “Ryan Westley in C1M, got good natural feel for the water and showed his pace in the qualifications at the Europeans earlier this year. If it all comes together on the day it could go his way.”

There is a clear sense and expectation that several of the US team will feature prominently, getting among the best, most especially, Michal Smolen, 21, Fabien Lefevre and Casey Eichfeld.

Prediction 4 – Guide to form in C1M

Michal Martikan (SVK) is back and strong. This consistency saw him on the podium at four of the five World Cup races and one 4th. He is back to World No. 2 ranking. Several paddlers cite Deep Creek as having some similarities to Liptovsky Mikulas where Martikan was born!

Great Britain’s David Florence is the reigning World Champion after his win in Prague, showing he is super cool under pressure. He is also regarded as one of the strongest athletes.

Dana Mann and Mark Proctor highlight the strength of the whole Slovakian C1M team with Alexander Slafkovsky and Matej Benus (SVK). Martikan, Benus & Slafkovsky were ranked 1st, 3rd and 4th in this season’s World Cup series.

Former 2011 World Champion Denis Chanut Gargaud (FRA) won the very last World Cup race and Benjamin Savsek (SLO) won at home in Tacen. Both are infinitely capable of a medal.

Prediction 5 – Guide to form in C1W

Jessica Fox (AUS) remains the no.1 athlete and favourite for a second consecutive title. At several races this year, including the U23 Worlds, she has won by a very considerable margin. That honour was handed to Mallory Franklin (GBR) for the Augsburg Word Cup final where Fox did not race and Franklin won by a 6 second margin.

Both Franklin, Ros Lawrence (AUS) and Katerina Hoskova (CZE) will be vying with Fox for the podium. Don’t discount Ana Satila (BRA) of whom we have seen little at the World Cup races this season. Now 18 years old she showed her form winning the Penrith Junior Worlds in K1W.

At the European Championships Franklin, 20, also scooped the U23 European Championships and Caroline Loir (FRA) taking the senior title.

Prediction 6 – Guide to form in K1M

Sebastian Schubert is no. 1 ICF ranked K1M and World Cup Champion for the second season in succession. He is showing the greatest consistency - a hallmark of a World Champion.

The Czech men have shown themselves to have the flair to snatch dramatic wins, Jiri Prskavec, 21, is the Senior European Champion and Vavrinec Hradilek is reigning K1M World Champion. As noted Vit Prindis is also regarded as a potential podium finisher.

This class is wide open. Olympic champion Daniele Molmenti is another who identifies Michal Smolen as a wild card “He grows a lot in every race and in his homeland there’s always an extra push”. Beijing Olympic silver medallist Fabien Lefevre (USA) is also on his home water.

We are without former World Champion, Peter Kauzer (SLO) who is out through injury.

Prediction 7 – Guide to form in K1W

Ricarda Funk’s two Word Cup race wins and the Senior European Championship title has shown herself to be the very rapidly up-and-coming paddler of the season. It could be more surprising not to see the 22 year-old German medal at Deep Creek.

Reigning Olympic, World Champion and current ICF no.1 Émilie Fer (FRA) is described by Sebastian Schubert “to be very strong on this water and she is always able to make a podium finish”.

Despite becoming World Cup series champion neither Corinna Kühnle (AUT) nor Fiona Pennie (GBR) have won this year. They are both quality paddlers who will be fired up to pick up a medal. Equally, don’t discount former World Champion Jana Dukatova (SVK) or U23 champion & Olympic silver medallist Jessica Fox, 20.

Prediction 8 – Guide to form in C2

The Skantar cousins from Slovakia Peter and Ladislav deserve to have been crowned the new 2014 World Cup Champions. They are the without question the on form crew of the season, also scooping the 2014 Senior European Championships.

Gauthier Klauss & Matthieu Peche (FRA) are still chasing the elusive World Champion title. They won the last World Cup race in Augsburg with a super quick run time and remain the ICF No.1 ranked boat.

Reigning World Champions David Florence and Richard Hounslow finished the World Cup series 5th having raced at 4 races. 

Luka Bozic & Saso Taljat (SLO) is one of our podium predictions. The class is super exciting to watch. Will we see a crew from outside Europe make the final?

Prediction 8 – Up and coming teams

While some athletes and federations have their sights clearly focussed on the podium, others are building their depth of talent with longer term ambitions towards the Olympics in 2016 and 2020. In this way the Deep Creek Worlds are the latest milestone and test along this journey. Athletes will be looking for and achieving new personal best performances.

We know from previous experience that there is a high correlation between previous Junior World Champions (or U23) and future Olympic medallists.

Sportscene will be following the development of several teams including Brazil and Japan who will be hosting the Olympics in 2016 and 2020. Here is a link to our Evening with the Brazilian team from Prague: www.sportscene.tv/whitewater/canoe-slalom/news/an-evening-with-the-brazilian-canoe-slalom-team. In fact, Pedro “pepe” Da Silva, 21, from Brazil was tipped as an up and coming U23 wild card.

In the Prague Worlds, of the 50 nations participating just 9 had athletes on the podium in either the individual or team races. The Czech Republic took full advantage of racing on home water. In Deep Creek we have 45 participating nations. What can we expect of the US team at home? Look out for Sportscene’s Deep Creek reviews.

Prediction 10 - USA Canoe-Kayak legacy

The Deep Creek official program contains an anniversary feature The Ultimate Run – 25 years on. In it Jon Lugbill, Davey Hearn and Richard Fox reflect on the change in style of racing, explosion of social media and how their younger selves may have done at Deep Creek 2014. An abbreviated piece can be read here.

Joe Jacobi again; “There are four points to these World Championships that jump out to me regarding the event’s legacy and effect on USA Canoe/Kayak’s Slalom program trajectory. First, our top athletes are trending upwards. Michal is stepping up, Fabien has brought excellent leadership to the program and you can see a rising tide floating our boats a little bit higher each day. Second, these Worlds are re-energizing our alumni – I see so many people from our US Slalom Community on Facebook buzzing about reconnecting with old friends, running rivers and celebrating a great legacy of racing in this country. Third, we have a lot of young slalom athletes paddling very well that are fired up about these World Championships – all the champions they’ve been watching on YouTube and following on Instagram are coming to the US for the most prestigious event of 2014 and the most important slalom event in the US of their lifetime. Finally, the City Council of Oklahoma City gave the green light to move ahead with our state-of-the-art Whitewater Center at the Oklahoma City Boathouse District ensuring a venue in which we can align slalom with the greatest investment in paddlesports ever in the United States.”

Bob Campbell who is also Managing Director of Whitewater Parks International LLC added; “Besides improving the facility for athlete training and future international level competition, one of the greatest legacy highlights is how our modifications to the whitewater channel especially have increased the value of ASCI's, making it more program functional and user friendly for all the paddle-based activities offered to the thrill-seeking public.”

Good luck and congratulations to USA Canoe-Kayak and the Deep Creek organising committee for their dedication to achieving new heights in canoe slalom.

Deep Creek Race Format:

• Wednesday Sept 17th Opening ceremony
• Thursday Sept 18th C1M, C1W, K1M heats
• Friday Sept 19th K1W, C2 heats and K1M semi-final
• Saturday Sept 20th C1M, C1W semi-final, C1M, C1W & K1M final plus teams
• Sunday Sept 21st K1W & C2 semi-final & final plus teams

Use #deepcreek2014 hashtag on Twitter. I will be live tweeting @gregiej during the race using this hashtag. Live results and tweets will be posted to www.sportscene.tv/liveresults. Good luck to all the athletes and teams. More information is available at www.deepcreek2014.com.

Download Summary table of Reigning Champions (correct as of August 28th 2014)

Photo credits: Ettore Ivaldi