De Gennaro and Cipressi are the new Italian Slalom Champions on the Noce river. An impressive Gold goes to for Predin in the Women K1 Category.

The new Italian Slalom champions have been decided at the end of the final runs, which took place on the Noce River in Val di Sole. They are Giovanni De Gennaro for K1, Stefano Cipressi for C1 and Angela Luisa Prendin for K1.

It was a day to remember particularly for the Bologna born Cipressi, world champion in 2006 in Prague, as he also succeeded  in winning the gold medal in the team race, together with Navy team mates Omar Raiba and Andrea Romeo. With this success Cipressi becomes the only Italian athlete to have won the Italian title in all categories, K1, C1, C2 and Teams.

The other title up for grabs, for C2, was won by Pietro Camporesi and Niccolo’ Ferrari, racing for Aeronautic Sport Centre.

If Cipressi was the real winner of the 2014 Italian championship , the success of the Roncavalle (Brescia) born Giovanni De Gennaro was particularly noteworthy, a medal that he fought for with much enthusiasm. Not all the members of the 'azzurri' team raced in the under 23 junior European championships in Skopje, Macedonia, the Forest Rangers athlete was the only one to make a point in racing also in Val di Sole. He will join his team mates in the evening, with a flight purchased at his own expense, aiming to win a European medal over the next few days.  

Both for Cipressi and De Gennaro the 2014 success represents a redemption from last year’s race, which also took place on the same track in Mezzana; both athletes ranked 2nd last year. De Gennaro finished after Lukas Mayr from Merano, who in turn ranked 2nd this year and Cipressi behind Roberto Colazingari, absent in Val di Sole as engaged at the European championship, after the world title a few weeks ago.

There was a morning full of exciting challenges on the 300 metre long competition course, featuring 18 gates, similar to the Saturday qualifying races. The course has proven the determination of Giovanni De Gennaro, who has completed his K1 race with zero penalties and a time of 1’26”48, separating himself by over 1 second and a half from the former champion Lukas Mays and  almost 4 seconds ahead of the winner of the qualifying runs, Andrea Romeo.

There was a clear victory also for Stefano Cipressi, who has won both qualifying runs as well as the finals, ahead of Pietro Camporesi, racing with the colours of aeronautics, by 2 seconds and 62 hundreds of a second, who in turn closed ahead of the team mate Niccolo’ Ferrari, bronze medal.

The women's K1 title was also a closely fought race, won by Angela Luisa Prendin from Mestre, finishing with 1’46”21, ahead of Vittoria Cappa from Cuneo;  bronze was won by Valeria Bolzan from Bologna.

It was an easy Life for the C2 Pietro Camporesi e Niccolò Ferrari (1’39”71) with no real contenders.

In the national junior event (not valid for the national title)  Geronimo Arioldi (Gruppo Canoe Viadana) won  the K1M.

There was much positive feedback given to the organisers from Rafting Kayak Canoa Club Val di Sole, coordinated by Luca Scaramella and supported by the association Liberavventura from Brescia, also by the president of the national federation Luciano Buonfiglio, who has encouraged the group to opt to host important international events over the next seasons, thus putting the Noce river back on the international kayaking scene.

A summary of the finals will be broadcasted on Tuesday 8th July at 19.15 on Ra9Sport 2, with the comment of Federico Calcagno, in Val di Sole in the last few days.

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