John Gregory | @gregiej | Sportscene - Tacen is always regarded as one of the toughest and most unpredictable courses in the World. We are back on the Sava river in the picturesque town in the foothills of the Smarna Gora Mountains for World Cup race 4. The city of Ljubljana has a long history in canoe slalom following the establishment of the Kajak Kanu Klub Ljubljana in 1931.

At the end of our last outing in Seu d’Urgell the overall World Cup rankings looked like this.

In the six weeks since the last World Cup race in Seu the athletes and teams have been very busy. The senior athletes were training while the U23 & Junior athletes have competed in the Worlds in Liptovsky Mikulas in Slovakia. The European athletes competed in the U23/Junior European championships in Bourg St Maurice, France about two weeks ago. Click here for a PDF of the U23/Junior medal winners

At the last Tacen World Cup race in 2011 we saw champions in the shape of David Florence (GBR) in C1M, Rosalyn Lawrence (AUS) in C1W, Peter Kauzer (SLO) in K1M, Melanie Pfeifer (GER) in K1W and Pavol & Peter Hochschorner (SVK) in C2. At the Tacen World’s the year before (2010) the World Champions were Tony Estanguet (FRA), Jana Dukatova (SVK), Daniele Molmenti (ITA), Corinna Kuhnle (AUT) and Pavol & Peter Hochschorner,

C1M – Canadian Single Men
Each of the medal winners from Cardiff, Augsburg and Seu will be racing on the Tacen course.

Benjamin Savsek (SLO) had the fastest C1 run of the weekend in Seu in the tight all European final. However, the Seu World Cup was won by 22 year old Slovenian Anze Bercic, who also scooped silver in Bourg in the U23 European Championships.

Sideris Tasiadis (GER) has been on the podium at each of this year’s World Cup races in addition to his silver in London last year. Will he be able to fend off the Slovenian’s and take his first gold of 2013? David Florence (GBR) who won the Tacen World Cup in 2011 is looking for his first 2013 World Cup medal. 

Watch out for new 2013 Junior World & Junior European Champion Cedric Joly (FRA) still on a high racing at his first senior World Cup race.

C1W – Canadian Single Women
This remains an evolving an exciting category. Mallory Franklin secured gold in the most recent U23 European Championships. Cardiff World Cup race winner Kimberley Woods (GBR) now has added the Junior World Champion to her growing medal haul after gold in Bourg.

Jessica Fox cemented her C1W dominance with the U23 World title and this sets her up well for the forthcoming Senior Worlds in Prague next month. Jess is the only paddler to have been on the podium at all three world cup races so far this season. Australian team-mate Rosalyn Lawrence will be looking to improve upon her top 6 finish in Augsburg and secure a podium finish.

K1M – Kayak Single Men
Germany dominates the World Cup ranking with Fabian Doerfler 1st, Sebastian Schubert 2nd and Hannes Aigner 3rd. All three are racing in Tacen and appear to be in a consistent form this year.

29 year old Slovenian Peter Kauzer World Champion from both 2009 and 2011 has been placed a remarkably consistent 9th in each of the first three World Cups. He will be looking for a win to repeat his previous form.

2012 World Cup champion Etienne Daille is seeking his first podium finish of 2013. This may be aided by Olympic Champion Daniele Molmenti’s (watch his 2010 vid) and Seu winner Vavrinec Hradilek’s absence in Tacen.

K1W – Kayak Single Women
Local Slovenian & 2006 Junior World Champion Ursa Kragelj (SLO) will be looking for a win on her home water. Her top finish so far this year has been 6th at the Krakow Europeans and 8th in Cardiff. 21 year old Olympian Eva Tercelj (SLO) completed a commanding run in the Seu final more than 2 seconds quicker than Jana Dukatova’s (SVK) semi-final winning time. This was Eva’s first individual championship win at this level.

Medals from the first three races have been divided amongst 7 athletes, which have not included World Champions Jana Dukatova (SVK) or Corinna Kuhnle (AUT) who are racing in Tacen this weekend. Interestingly, Corinna lies third in the World Cup series despite not finishing on the podium. Lizzie Neave leads the K1W despite having raced at only Cardiff & Seu.

There is much to play for in K1W with two World Cup races remaining.

C2 – Canadian Doubles (Men)
Gauthier Klauss and Matthieu Peche (FRA) made it two consecutive wins in Seu and so lead the World Cup series after the first three races. They are back again to race in Tacen seeking to extend their points lead.

Lukas Rohan and Adam Svoboda from the Czech Republic come to Tacen as the new U23 World Champions. London Olympians and Slovenian locals Luka Bozic and Saso Taljat currently lie 2nd after the first three races having secured bronze in Cardiff and Seu.

With Pavol & Peter Hochschorner (SVK) and Nicholas Peschier & Pierre Labarelle (FRA) not racing this weekend we would expect Slovenia on the podium – leaving the question only as to what colour medal. Etienne Stott begins a recovery following his shoulder dislocation during the heat in Seu, which means he and Tim Baillie are out for the remainder World Cup races.

In each of this year’s World Cup finals they have been made up exclusively of European crews.

Tacen Race Format:

• Friday August 16th C1M, C1W, K1M, K1W and C2 heats
• Saturday July 6th C1M, C1W & K1M semi-final & final plus teams
• Sunday July 7th K1W & C2 semi-final & final plus teams

There are 32 nations participating including Croatia, Serbia, Portugal, Chinese Taipei and South Africa. This weekend home nation Slovenia will field 14 boats.

Results will be available on www.sportscene.tv/liveresults and there will be further information on the ICF World Cup website.

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