2015 ICF World Championships Slalom
 
1
2
3
K1M
CZ J. PRSKAVEC
PL M. POLACZYK
US M. SMOLEN
K1W
CZ K. KUDEJOVA
DE R. FUNK
DE M. PFEIFER
C1M
GB D. FLORENCE
SI B. SAVSEK
GB R. WESTLEY
C1W
AU J. FOX
CZ K. HOSKOVA
ES N. VILARRUBLA
C2
DE ANTON/BENZIEN
FR PICCO/BISO
FR KLAUSS/PECHE

Canoe Slalom

La Seu Canoe Slalom World Cup 4 in 50th anniversary of CADI

canoe kayak slalom la seu urgell spain icf world cup 2014 competition results preview sportscene

John Gregory | @gregiej | Sportscene - For the 50th anniversary of CADI’s canoe- kayak we are again back in Seu. Here is a short preview of what to expect this weekend for World Cup 4 in La Seu d’Urgell. www.cadicanoekayak.com

Last year the Spanish team took their first individual two medals of the 2013 World Cup with silver for Ander Elosegi in C1M and Samuel Hernanz in K1M in addition to two team medals; gold in K1M and silver in C1W. With Olympics bronze medallist Maialen Chourraut back on the team and their team bronze at Lee Valley; they will wish to improve again for their home World Cup race.

World Cup 2014 Rankings (after 3 races)

  C1M C1W K1W K1M C2M
1st Michal Martikán 165 Kateřina Hošková 149 Jana Dukatova 152 Hannes Aigner 136 Skantar & Skantar 170
2nd Benjamin Savsek 156 Qianqian Teng 139 Corinna Kuhnle 145 Vit Prindis 125 Bozic & Taljat 165
3rd David Florence 151 Jessica Fox 138 Jessica Fox 130 Sebastian Schubert 113 Anton & Benzien 121
           

With 60 points available for a win it is still tight after 3 races. For a full listing of the ranking from the first three World Cup races http://events.slalom.canoeicf.com/standings/standings-2013/standings-2014. You can see the updated international table of results here, including the latest ICF Number 1 ranking in each class here (correct as of July 20).

We saw exciting racing at last year’s Seu World Cup where the race winners in the respective classes were Anze Bercic (SLO) in C1M, Jessica Fox (AUS) in C1W, Vavrinec Hradilek (CZE) in K1M, Eva Tercelj (SLO) in K1W and Klauss/ Peche (FRA) in C2.

Here are just some of the paddlers on form this season that are racing in Seu.

canoe kayak slalom la seu urgell spain icf world cup 2014 competition results preview sportsceneC1M – Canadian Single Men
Double Olympic Champion Martikán (SVK) leads this World Cup series after a different coloured medal at the first three World Cup races, culminating in a win in Prague. Benjamin Savšek (SLO) is second overall. He is on excellent form this season and sits 5 points ahead of reigning C1M World Champion, David Florence (GBR).

C1W – Canadian Single Women
This time last year Jessica Fox was supreme and finds herself third behind Kateřina Hošková (CZE) and Qianqian Teng.

We have had a different winner at each of the 3 World Cup races and Senior European Championships so far this season.

Australia, China and Great Britain each secured two athletes into the C1W final in Prague. Unfortunately, Qianqian Teng and Nanqin Cen who between them have secured a podium finish for China at each of the first three World Cup races are not due to race in Seu.

K1M – Kayak Single Men
In the World Cup standing’s there are four Germans and three Czech’s in the top 10 after 3 races. The World Ranking is also reshuffled with Hannes Aigner no.1 and Sebastian Schubert third, split by Vit Prindis (CZE) who took silver at Lee Valley this year. Sebastian was the inner of the 2013 World Cup series.

Germany has four boats in this class in Seu and again including former Beijing Olympic Champion Alexander Grimm. Fabian Doerfler (GER) is the new World No.1 K1M.

Canada has been represented in the last two World Cup final runs by 24 year old Ben Hayward.

We will be missing London Olympic champion Daniele Molmenti, Peter Kauzer who is now rehabilitating following his surgery and Vavra Hradilek.

K1W – Kayak Single Women
Jana Dukatova looks very strong again this year, she is back to the ICF World Rank No.1 in K1W after her 2013 World Cup series win. This form has continued into 2014 and she leads Corinna Kühnle and Jessica Fox in the 2014 World Cup series.

Other paddlers to impress this year have been Ricarda Funk (GER) European U23 champion and winner of the last World Cup series race outing in Prague as well as Stephanie Horn (ITA) who won the recent U23 European Championships in Skopje, Macedonia.

canoe kayak slalom la seu urgell spain icf world cup 2014 competition results preview sportscene

London Olympic bronze medallist, Maialen Chourraut (ESP), back racing this season, will be looking to take home advantage, improving on her 17th at the Lee Valley World Cup race.

C2 – Canadian Doubles (Men)
This class as has often been the case most recently has been tight and fiercely contested amongst the European boats.

The Slovakian cousins Ladislav & Peter Skantar dominated the World Cup series so far 28 points ahead with 170 points from a maximum 180 points available. In Prague they were the fastest in the heats, semi-final and final. They are the team of the season also scooping the Senior European Championship title in Vienna.

Luka Bozic & Saso Taljat from Solvenia are in second with Germany’s Frank Anton & Jan Benzien in third. World Champions David Florence & Richard Hounslow are also back racing at this weekend’s World Cup race.

We have seen USA, China, Brazil and Japan make one or more of the World Cup race semi-finals.

Cumulative Medal Table (from individual race events at World Cup 1, 2 & 3)

  Gold Silver Bronze Total
SVK 4 2 2 8
GER 3 2 1 6
GBR 2 2   4
SLO 2 1 3 6
AUS 2   1 3
CHN 1   3 4
FRA 1     1
CZE   5 2 7
POL   1 1 2
AUT   1 1 2
ITA   1   1
USA     1 1
         

Slovakia has a clear lead in the individual medals table after 3 World Cup races with four medals, one ahead of Germany with three golds. Great Britain, Slovenia and Australia have two each.  It is positive to see medals distributed among 12 nations.

The Spanish squad of 11 boats will be hoping for good conditions to secure their first World Cup medals of 2014. This year the field of nations has swollen to 40, up from 31 last year.

In other related news the Basque region of Spain from where Xabi Etxaniz and Maialen Chourraut both originated are campaigning for funding to develop a slalom course close to San Sebastien. I was also in Seu this month reviewing Jonathan Males great new book In the Flow, which interestingly starts reflecting on the ’92 Olympics. Here is my review: http://unofficialolympiccanoeslalom.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/in-the-flow-book-reviewed

La Seu d’Urgell Race Format:

  • Friday Aug 1st C1M, C1W, K1M, K1W and C2 heats
  • Saturday Aug 2nd C1M, C1W & K1M semi-final & final
  • Sunday Aug 3rd K1W & C2 semi-final & final

More information is available at http://laseudurgell.worldcup.events.slalom.canoeicf.com   Again look and use #canoeslalomworldcup on Twitter. Live results and tweets will be posted to www.sportscene.tv/liveresults.