John Gregory, @gregiej | Sportscene - The sun shone no more and instead the winds whipped around Cardiff Bay creating an added challenge for all competitors. Here is a review of Saturday’s C1M, C1W and K1M finals and the heats/semis in K1W and C2.

Cardiff World Cup C1M final medal positions

Saturday morning was a test for the last C1M paddlers Matej Benus (SVK) and David Florence (GBR) forcing a 30 minute suspension in racing. This was a major test of coping with adversity. As the C1M race was suspended Stanislav Jezek from the Czech Republic had just gone into the lead with 93.95 seconds including a 2 second penalty.

Last year’s winner David Florence posted a semi-final time of 91.79 seconds clear which showed he was capable of winning the final. When the last two paddlers came down Matej Benus initially incurred a 50 second penalty on gate 11 and David Florence while up at the first split hit the wall at gate 14, was unable to make this time up and finished down in 5th place.

The wind probably explained why none of the times were quicker than the semi-finals. Stanislav maintained the lead and won with a 2 second penalty. Michal Jane’s third place finish represents his highest place finish individual result. He was 21st in the recent European Championships in Krakow.

Cardiff World Cup C1W final medal positions

Kimberley Woods (GBR) was the first paddler down and immediately posted a faster time than anyone in the semi-final on Friday evening with 112.57 seconds including one touch. As the successive paddlers remaining in the C1W final, Kimberley Woods maintained her lead. World ranked number 1, Rosalyn Lawrence (AUS) incurred a 50-second penalty on the very last gate 24 and found herself in the unusual 10th place.

The tension was really mounting in the C1W final as 2013 European Champion Caroline Loir also failed to beat the 112.57 seconds posted by Woods and dropped into 2nd place. She was pushed down the ranking by Jessica Fox who did enough only to secure silver. The largely local supporters celebrated seeing both Kimberley Woods and Mallory Franklin on the podium.

Cardiff World Cup K1M final medal positions

Fabian Doerfler set an impressive early run of 87.11 clear. The normally silky smooth Peter Kauzer (SLO) was down at the first split, hit the wall in 14 and had to back off between 16 -17. Last year’s winner Sebastian Schubert (GER) made up time in the gates 21-24 gate sequence to place himself 2nd with 3 paddlers remaining.

Lucien Delfour (AUS) although extremely swift in and out of gate 11 was awarded a 50 second penalty on the top part of the course. The final boat down as the wind picked up further was Jiri Prskavec who had set the stunning 86.16 second clear run on Friday evening. In the end he was unable to post a faster time and finished 5th.

Day 2 HEATS – K1W & C2

It was back to serious business after the joy of the podium ceremony. This is even more the case with several paddlers who competed in the C1M, C1W and K1M resetting themselves to switch category for the K1W or C2.

The competitors have two runs down the 23 gate course and the best of the two will determine their ranking and potential qualification into the semi-finals this evening. In K1W of the 40 starters in the heat 30 paddlers qualify for the semi-final of which the top 10 progress into a single run final Sunday morning.

In C2 of the 25 starters in the heat 20 crews qualify for the semi-final with the top 10 going into a single run final Sunday morning.

Official results from the K1W heats

1st Lizzie Neave (GBR) 100.50 seconds including 2 second penalty, 2nd Karolina Galuskova (CZE) + 0.22 seconds and 3rd Katerina Kudejova (CZE) + 0.81 seconds behind the leader.

The K1W field was truly World Class with the two double Olympic Champions, Elisa Kaliska (SVK) and Stepanka Hilgertova (CZE) on the course at one time. Great Britain London Olympic K1W Lizzie Neave took a confident lead in the first runs where only 30 of the 40 starters were to make the final.

There were a couple of top ranked paddlers close to the cut off danger zone particularly Ursa Kragelj (SLO), while Estelle Mangin (FRA) ranked 55 in the world pulled out an impressive clear run to finish joint 5th at the end of first runs and 7th at the end of the heats. Karolina Galuskova (CZE) put in an excellent 2nd run to push herself to 2nd after the heats. Again, with the heats also this afternoon multiple paddlers decided not to start their 2nd run and there is no requirement for them to do so.

Both Elena Kaliska and Stepanka Hilgertova did put in a second run although this did not change the top positions. Ursa Kragelj bib 4 was outside the top 30 and so did put in a second clear run to post 103.00 and take the 10th spot. This all meant that with Lizzie Neave (GBR) as winner of the heats she goes last in this evening’s semi-final.

Official results from the C2 heats

1st Baillie/ Stott (GBR) 99.82 seconds clear, 2nd Karlovsky/ Jane (CZE) +0.72 seconds, 3rd Bozic/ Taljat (SLO) + 0.96 seconds behind the leader.

The two Slovakian crews (Hochschorner & Skantar brothers) comfortably secured places in the top 10 with their first run results. All three British crews (Baillie & Stott, Florence & Hounslow and Burgess & Pitt) were safely inside the top 20 and progress to this evening’s semi-final.

Baillie & Stott put in a commanding 2nd run demonstrating why they won gold in London last year to win the heats. This means that the reigning Olympic Champions are the last boat down in the semi-final. 

Ondrej Karlovsky & Jakub Jane from Czech Republic led after the first runs and continue their good form after the bronze medal at the European Championships in Krakow two weekends ago. Luka Bozic & Saso Taljat (SLO) are always consistent and remain chasing a championship win.

Of the crews eliminated who failed to make the cut to the semi-final are two French boats, the Canadian C2 pair, Australian crew and German crew of Westphal & Jork. This means the C2 semi-final is very much dominated by the European boats with the exception of Devin McEwan and Casey Eichfeld (USA) secured the last qualification place.

Official K1W semi final results

1st Jana Dukatova (SVK) 97.95 seconds clear, 2nd Beth Latham (GBR) +1.18 seconds clear, 3rd Jessica Fox (AUS) +1.46 seconds behind the leader with a 2-second penalty.

Great Britain secured two boats for the final in the shape of Beth Latham and London Olympic paddler Lizzie Neave. Beth Latham, 20, took an early lead which she held Jana Dukatova came down the course demonstrating exactly why she is the ICF world number 1 paddler in K1W.

Jana pushed Beth into second by just over a second. Both double Olympians Elena Kaliska (SVK) and Stepanka Hilgertova (CZE) made the cut for the final. The surprises from today who didn’t make the finals were world ranked number 2 Melanie Pfeifer (GER) and 2012 World Cup winner Ursa Kragelj (SLO).

Last year’s Cardiff K1W winner Maialen Chourraut (ESP) had a baby girl on June 12th and understandably is not here in Cardiff.

The K1W finalists in the order in which they will race the final will be Cindy Poeschel (GER), Nouria Newman (FRA), Lizzie Neave (GBR), Stepanka Hilgertova (CZE), Elena Kaliska (SVK), Corinna Kuhnle (AUT), Katerina Kudejova (CZE), Jessica Fox (AUS), Beth Latham (GBR) and World number 1 Jana Dukatova (SVK) off last.

Looking to the final 19 year old Olympic silver medalist Jessica Fox from Australia was on sensational form at Lee Valley last summer and showed similar consistency winning the recent 2013 COPA Pyrenees Cup. She is the only non-European in the final. Sadly for the British supporters was the new European Champions Fiona Pennie being pushed out of a place in the final.

Official C2 semi final results

1st Klauss/ Peche (FRA) in 100.20 seconds clear, 2nd Hochschorner/ Hochschorner (SVK) + 0.92 clear, 3rd Florence/ Hounslow (GBR) +4.05 seconds penalties behind the leader with 4-seconds of penalties.

In the end, the C2 crews made relatively easy work of the bottom break-out on gate 23 although the exit back across the stopper wave provided a key challenge for a clean negotiation on gate 24. All the boats qualifying for the final are European. Slovakia qualified three boats for the final as did Great Britain demonstrating their developing depth in this class. There are two Czech crews in the final and unusually no Polish or German crews.

The C2 finalists in the order in which they will race the final will be Kaspar/ Sindler (CZE), Kucera/ Batik (SVK), Burgess/ Pitt (GBR), Bozic/ Taljat (SLO), Baillie/ Stott (GBR), Skantar/ Skantar (SVK), Karlovsky/ Jane (CZE), Florence/ Hounslow (GBR), Hochschorner/ Hochschorner (SVK) and Klauss/ Peche (FRA) last off.

Looking to the final, 10 times overall World Cup winning crew Pavol & Peter Hochschorner (SVK) looked in control today but they have lost the gap they have consistently shown over the rest of the field in the past.

Florence/ Hounslow won in Cardiff last year and there will be stiff competition in this C2 final within the British camp as well as with the remaining crews. Also in the mix are silver medalists from Cardiff 2012 Luka Bozic & Saso Taljat from Slovenia as well as the semi-final winners who were placed 4th both at London 2012 and the recent European Championships.

The Hochschorner brothers may be out to avenge both for their disappointment at not winning in Cardiff last year or Lee Valley so keep a watch on them.

Sunday June 23rd

The day starts with the nail-biting finals of the K1W and C2. The afternoon switches gear completely to watch three boats negotiate the course together in a synchronized way. These are called team events and are a new addition to the World Cup format.

Again, Sportscene will be tweeting live @gregiej and using #CanoeCardiff2013. The team will be on hand conducting interviews and writing the report from the final race day in Cardiff. It is very much hoped more spectators will come out on Sunday morning but as always in the Wales this will be dependent on the weather.

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Live stream, tweets and live results: www.sportscene.tv/liveresults