John Gregory | @gregiej | Sportscene - Any book written by the legendary US coach William (Bill) T. Endicott is on my must read list. The formidable reign of Fabien Lefevre The King of Slalomia is a provocative behind the scenes account of the last 15 years of Canoe Slalom.

Four specific topics jumped out at me from this book. Each will be examined in turn in a series of articles. They are:

1. The elite group of paddlers who have been World Championship medallists in more than one category
2. The importance of continuous boat and blade design
3. Relativity of World Championships, World Cup and Olympics
4. “Do it with passion or not at all”, Audrey Lefevre

In this first article we asked the 8 athletes who have secured medals at Worlds in more than one class, including team events, for their reflections on training and competing in two or more classes. In alphabetical order the 8 paddlers are; Luka Bozic (SLO), Jana Dukatova (SVK), Charles Dussuet (SUI), David Florence (GBR), Jess Fox (AUS), Denis Gargaud Chanut FRA), Fabien Lefevre (USA) and Nicolas Peschier (FRA).

Key facts:

• One paddler has a medal in three individual classes at World Championships – Fabien Lefevre (USA & formerly FRA)
• Three paddlers have been simultaneously World Champion in two individual classes in the same year – Charles Dussuet, David Florence and Jess Fox
• Five paddlers have been World Champion in two individual classes – Jana Dukatova, Charles Dussuet, Jess Fox, David Florence and Fabien Lefevre
• Six paddlers have been medallists at World Championships in two individual classes – Jana Dukatova, Charles Dussuet, Jess Fox, David Florence, Denis Gargaud Chanut and Fabien Lefevre.

The book King of Slalomia describes Fabien Lefevre taking up C2 with team-mate Denis Gargaud Chanut in 2009. Lefevre was already K1M World Champion from 2002 in Bourg and 2003 in Augsburg, which incidentally I was there to witness. In 2011 they both medalled in two classes at the Bratislava Worlds; gold in C1M for Gargaud Chanut, bronze in K1M for Lefevre and together silver in C2. Later in the book Endicott & Lefevre discuss his then switch to C1M in parallel with continuing K1M in the States.

The rules allowing athletes to compete in more than one class changed around the end of 2008, which is when we see seven of those listed above who are also still actively racing in one or more class. The only prior paddler to have won in more than one class was Switzerland’s Charly Dussuet. Presumably the rules changed sometime afterwards until around 2008.

Sportscene went out to those other paddlers to ask them their reflections on the benefits and challenges from training and competing in two classes at Worlds. Here is what they said.

It seems reasonable to start with the older statesman, Charly Dussuet, now 87. He won 9 medals at World Championships of which three were gold in individual classes. In 1953, he simultaneously became World Champion in C1 and C2 with partner Jean Engler who is described as an excellent technician in F1 (Men). “It was extraordinary, everything seemed to become possible. Paddling and competing in C1 and C2 is very valuable, you may learn new tricks”, says Dussuet.

Jana Dukatova started; “I remember that one of the challenges was to decide which boat to paddle if there was only one session per day during the official training period before the race. I think that paddling in C1 can improve your performance in K1. And it’s not only the training, if you have an extra run on the race course, you get a lot of information about the position of the gates”. Jana comments that, “by becoming the first C1W World Champion [2010] I achieved what I aimed for”.

Interestingly Jess Fox is a mere 20 years old and Luka Bozic is 24 so more medals in two classes are probable. Bozic described training & competition in C1 and C2. “The benefit of an extra run is seeing the course twice (or more) and being more prepared for your second discipline. I can say that World Championships are normally easier and less exhausting than World Cups where the schedule of the competition is more busy.” 

Jess Fox commented on the benefits of extra runs versus the risk of becoming tired by training and competition in two classes versus just one; “I've been doing both events since 2008 so it's something I've become accustomed to. It is definitely tiring, especially on the first day of qualifications at World Cups when you have four runs in the day, so on qualification day the aim was always to do one run of heats per class! I find that doing the C1 before the K1 the last few years has been good to get an idea of the course and allow me to analyse for K1. In 2013 at Prague World Championships, I struggled to stay fresh mentally after winning the C1 and refocus for the K1... I learnt the lesson for Deep Creek!

The ICF Marrakesh Board decision changes the whole paradigm and implies C2 will not be an Olympic discipline after Rio 2016. In March, President Jose Perurena was reported as saying that the ICF are united in their approach to gender equality for 2020 Tokyo Olympics and beyond. Many of those paddlers we are examining here have succeeded in C2 (Bozic, Dussuet, Florence, Gargaud Chanut, Lefevre, Peschier).

In Prague David Florence became one of only 5 paddlers (Dukatova, Fox, Gargaud Chanut, Dussuet & Florence) to have medalled in two individual classes at Worlds. Here is what he said about 2013 where he won both C1 and C2. “I had had the potential to do so for at least a year or two (having won C1 and C2 at a World Cup in Cardiff in 2012) and it just went right for me on that weekend.”

Asked the same question Fox replied; “Being able to manage both classes was something I had been working on all year - doing the C1 event on the Saturday and switching to my K1 brain as soon as possible and forgetting about C1 after the race. That meant that I wouldn't even watch video after my C1 race, and I'd jump straight into a K1 after my C1 final to get into K1 mode. It was hard to control the emotional side of things - I am always excited after winning a race! But at Deep Creek I had to take it all in my stride, enjoy the moment but not for too long (basically the podium) and remember that the job wasn't done yet! We didn't compete in the C1 team event, which meant I could recover more for K1. I was more focussed on the K1 in Deep Creek.”

Talking to one of the recent paddlers also competing in C1 and C2, France’s Nico Peschier described the feelings from training and competition in C1 & C2. “I think that I take pleasure almost at each training on the water. To win a race is something more important. We train to win, so when it works especially in both categories is really great…”

It is true that it is harder in two classes. I think that the C2 makes me stronger in the C1 while C1 enables me more finesse in the trajectories for the C2. You have less monotony during the season”.

Denis Gargaud Chanut C1M World Champion from 2011 in Bratislava and Fabien’s C2 partner reflects; “It depends clearly of your point of view, physically I had back problem from C2 practice but mentally that was a gain, because first you are more often at the start and second if you miss a race you have another chance. Also for me C2 was really easy mentally and that maybe being with someone was easier than being alone”.

“I remember really well how I was feeling during my [2011] C2 race, and it was like a training I did not feel any pressure only adrenalin. For the C1 it was completely the opposite, and that is what I liked about this challenge is that it make me discover myself”, added Gargaud Chanut.

As another C2 paddler, Bozic emphasised, “The biggest amount of training is definitely done for C1 discipline and smaller part for C2, especially in the last few years when we don’t need so much training to be "in the game" again. Of course racing in both disciplines is big challenge for me and I would like to stay at that level, similar to Worlds in 2014, in the following seasons. I have been paddling in C1 only two years and this is a big step for me each year, but definitely every year is a new story and you have to work hard for every season from the beginning.”

Lefevre suggests that those competing in two classes are among the fittest athletes on the circuit. Florence responded; “I'm not sure that the paddlers doubling up are necessarily any fitter than many of the other outstanding athletes who only compete in one class. I do think, however, that a very high degree of specific fitness is needed to be able to train high volumes of technical work on the white water in order to gain the necessary level of skill in more than one boat. The fitness to deal with multiple runs, possibly in close succession on race days is also important.” Fox agreed; “I'm sure there are many girls who are fit and capable to do both classes, but many are restricted by their coaches or Federations and aren't allowed to compete in both K1 and C1 even if they are very good! I think it's very important to be physically fit to do both classes but I don't necessarily train more than other women. I do all the physical training in the kayak and focus on technical sessions in C1. I do a lot less training in C1 than in K1 because at the moment K1 is the priority.”

Gargaud Chanut concludes; “Now I am more focused on trying to control the performance, make a plan, and trying to excel in this plan. That is the way I like the sport, I believe that performance is doing something hard or exceptional, that you only have one chance to do it, doing two classes is finally not the way I like sport”.

David Florence still hopes “that more and more young paddlers will try both disciplines, which will increase the competition in our sport.” The Federations focus on the Olympic classes. Asked whether Dukatova would ever return to C1W she replied; “I think it's only my body which can give an answer to this question. If I’m healthy anything is possible.”

The next article pulling topics from The King of Slalomia will examine the importance or continuous boat and blade design. There will also be a special feature looking back at the early days of the Canoe Slalom Worlds through in-depth interviews with Charly Dussuet and Edouard Rothpletz.

Links

• Amazon - The King of Slalomia
• www.fabienlefevre.com

A special thanks to Dr med. Edouard Rothpletz for his assistance with this article.

Photos: Facebook Page Fabien Lefevre, Antony Edmonds, Balint Vekassy

Table of 8 athletes in alphabetical order at ICF World Championships (T refers to Team)