Photography and witten by: Nina Jelenc - The artificial slalom channel on the Vistula River in Krakow, Poland, hosted this year’s edition of the European Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships. During four competition days twenty new European Champions were crowned.

Altogether paddlers from twelve different countries received medals for their outstanding performances. The most successful nation was Czech Republic with a total of 10 medals.

The future stars of canoe slalom together with some of the already top level athletes participated at the 18th edition of European Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships (the first four editions were only junior championships; the U23 category was added in 2002). In the U23 category one of the best kayakers of this time Jiri Prskavec (CZE) showed his skills in men’s K1 final, navigating through the course without any mistakes and finishing in the first place with more than two and a half seconds lead ahead of Italian Zeno Ivaldi who finished the race in silver medal position. Prskavec was third last year in Skopje. Two members of the canoeing dynasties were accompanied on the podium by Spanish paddler David Llorente.

In men’s U23 C1 final Russian Kirill Setkin crossed the finish line with the fastest time, finishing ahead of two French representatives Thubault Blaise and Kilian Foulon (who was second last year and third this year). In women’s final we saw new names on the podium as none of the last year’s medallists competed in Krakow. Spanish slalomist Nuria Vilarrubla won ahead of Austrian Viktoria Wolffhardt and Viktoriia Us (UKR).  Vilarrubla was on the podium also in women’s C1 final. She was second. Monika Jančova of Czech Republic improved her result from last year when she was third and received a gold medal this time. Her compatriot Jana Matulka was third. In men’s C2 final Polish crews Michal Wiercioch – Grzegorz Majerczak and Filip Brzezinski – Andrzej Brzezinski took advantage of their home course and finished the competition at the top. Aleksei Popov and Vadim Voinalovich (RUS) were third.

In the junior K1 men final Niko Testen (SLO) took gold after an exciting and tight race. He was only 17 hundredths of a second faster than Richard Macuš of Slovakia, while Czech representative Alexander Maikrantz crossed the finish line only 0.67 seconds slower than the new Junior European Champion. Testen was third last year in Skopje and Macuš fourth. In women’s kayak final local favourite Klaudia Zwolinska finished the race with the fastest time, improving her position from last year when she was second. Nina Weratchnig (AUT) and Michaela Haššova (SVK) were second and third. Another medal for the Weratschnig family was won by Nina’s sister Nadine who was the best in women’s C1 final. Miren Lazkano (ESP) took silver in C1 category and Lucie Prioux (FRA) bronze.  

The reigning Junior World Champion in men’s C1 event Marko Mirgorodsky (SVK) was the best also on the Vistula River, followed by two German paddlers Soeren Loos and Florian Breuer. The Germans were unbeatable in the junior C2 final. Their crew Niklas Hecht – Alexander Weber was more than three seconds faster than all the others. Russian duo Pavel Kotov – Sergei Komkov continued successful Russian performances in men’s C1 and C2 events finishing the race in second place, while Jan Mrazek and Tomaš Rousek (CZE) were third.

In the U23 team events British paddlers Mallory Franklin, Jasmine Royle and Eilidh Gilbson retained their European Champion title from last year in women’s C1 event. Spain and Czech Republic joined them on the podium to collect their silver and bronze medals. The men’s kayak race finished with France, Germany and Italy in medal positions. Russia, Italy and France were the best in men’s C1 team event, Czech Republic, Great Britain and Austria were among the medallists in women’s team event and Poland, Germany and Russia stepped on a podium in C2 team race.

In junior the team races Slovakia celebrated gold medals both in K1 men and women events. Slovakian men’s K1 team was followed by Poland and Great Britain, while in women’s event Czech Republic and Spain finished the race behind Slovakia. Czech paddlers were the fastest in women’s C1 team event, followed by France and Slovakia. French canoeists were the best in men’s C1 event. Poland and Germany joined them on the podium. German, Czech and Russian teams were the best in C2 team event.

Next year the European Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships will take place in Solkan, Slovenia.

2015 EUROPEAN JUNIOR AND U23 CHAMPIONS

U23
K1m – Jiri Prskavec (CZE)
C1m – Kirill Setkin (RUS)
K1w – Nuria Vilarrubla (ESP)
C1w – Monika Jančova (CZE)
C2m – Michal Wiercioch – Grzegorz Majerczak (POL)

3xK1m – France (Quentin Burgi, Bastien Damiens, Tom Scianimanico)
3xC1m – Russia (Kirill Setkin, Alexander Nepogodin, Alexandr Ovchinnikov)
3xK1w – Czech Republic (Barbora Valikova, Pavlina Zasterova, Katerina Duškova)
3xC1w – Great Britain (Mallory Franklin, Jasmine Royle, Eilidh Gibson)
3xC2m – Poland (Filip Brzezinski – Andrzej Brzezinski/ Michal Wiercioch – Grzegorz Majerczak/ Adam Kozub – Igor Sztuba)

Juniors
K1m – Niko Testen (SLO)
C1m – Marko Mirgorodsky (SVK)
K1w – Klaudia Zwolinska (POL)
C1w – Nadine Weratschnig (AUT)
C2m – Niklas Hecht – Alexander Weber (GER)

3xK1m – Slovakia (Jakub Grigar, Richard Macuš, Samuel Stanovsky)
3xC1m – France (Lucas Roisin, Antoine Gaillard, Tom Maffeis)
3xK1w – Slovakia (Michaela Haššova, Simona Macekova, Lucia Murzova)
3xC1w – Czech Republic (Martina Satkova, Eva Rihova, Tereza Fišerova)
3xC2m – Germany (Niklas Hecht – Alexander Weber/ Lennard Tuchscherer – Fritz Lehrach/ Erc Borrmannn – Leo Braune)

MEDAL STANDINGS
1. Czech Republic – 10 medals (4 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze)
2. Poland – 6 medals (3, 3, -)
3. Slovakia – 6 medals (3, 1, 2)
4. Germany – 7 medals (2, 3, 2)
5. France – 7 medals (2, 2, 3)
6. Russian Federation – 6 medals (2, 1, 3)
7. Spain – 6 medals (1, 3, 2)
8. Austria – 4 medals (1, 2, 1)