The new improved Lee Valley - World Cup 2014 kick-off
Sportscene 2014 World Cup series preview
John Gregory | @gregiej | Sportscene - This weekend we return to Lee Valley for the first key international race since the London 2012 Olympics and a year before the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships on the same course. For those returning to Lee Valley you will notice and benefit from the £6.3M of investments made to improve the venue following the London Olympics. The World Cup series races this year are Lee Valley, Tacen, Prague, La Seu D’Urgell & Augsburg respectively between June 6th and August 17th. So this year we again revisit Augsburg, Seu and Tacen, in addition to the Troja course where we finished last season with the Senior Worlds.
So far this season we have enjoyed the spectacle of the ICF U23 & Junior Worlds in Penrith and other continental championships including the European Championships just this last weekend. We have new World Champions and 2013 World Cup champions back on this World stage for the 5 event World Cup series. 2014 canoe slalom season preview
Reigning Champions summary (correct June 1st 2014)
C1M | C1W | K1M | K1W | C2 | |
Senior Worlds 2013 |
David Florence GBR |
Jessica Fox AUS |
Vavrinec Hradilek CZE |
Emilie Fer FRA | Florence & Hounslow GBR |
U23 Worlds 2014 |
Roberta Colazingari ITA |
Jessica Fox AUS |
Michal Smolen USA |
Jessica Fox AUS |
Kaspar & Sindler CZE |
Junior Worlds 2014 |
Florian Breuer GER |
Lucie Prioux FRA |
Mario Leitner AUT |
Ana Satila BRA |
Matejka & Vetrovsky CZE |
World Cup Series 2013 |
Sideris Tasiadis GER |
Jessica Fox AUS |
Sebastian Schubert GER |
Jana Dukatova SVK |
Klauss & Peche FRA |
Senior Europeans 2014 |
Alexander Slafkovsky SVK |
Caroline Loir FRA |
Jiri Prskavec CZE |
Ricarda Funk GER |
Skantar & Skantar SVK |
U23 Europeans 2013 |
Matija Marinić CRO |
Mallory Franklin GBR |
Martin Halcin SVK |
Ricarda Funk GER |
Kaspar & Sindler CZE |
Junior Europeans 2013 |
Cedric Joly FRA |
Kimberley Woods GBR |
Jakub Grigar SVK |
Lisa Leitner AUT |
Gewissler & Skakala SVK |
ICF World Rank No.1 | David Florence GBR | Jessica Fox AUS |
Etienne Daille FRA |
Émilie Fer FRA |
Labarelle & Peschier FRA |
2012 Olympics | Tony Estanguet (retired) FRA |
Daniele Molmenti ITA |
Émilie Fer FRA |
Baillie (retired) & Stott GBR | |
We finish 2014 in North America for the ICF Senior Canoe Slalom World Championships. It marks the first time in 25 years that the Worlds have returned to North America, excluding the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. To read about the anniversary of the Jon Lugbill Ultimate Run click here. After finishing the 2013 season without a medal the Team US has started 2014 in style with Michal Smolen scooping the U23 World title in Penrith.
So turning our attention to this World Cup series here is a brief guide about who to look out for in the respective five classes.
C1M
David Florence (GBR) should be a key favourite at Lee valley where he won a silver medal in C2. He is again World Number 1 in C1M and reigning World Champion. However, Olympic silver medallist Sideris Tasiadis is the rising C1M star from Germany who last year scooped the World Cup series. He was the quickest in the European Championship semi-final in Vienna.
Double Olympic Champion Michal Martikán (SVK) did not race the 2013 World Cup series. He took silver behind Alexander Slafkovsky in Vienna and is set to race at Lee Valley.
C1W
19 year old Jessica Fox from Australia maintained her excellent consistency becoming the 2013 World Cup series champion, senior World Champion and 2014 U23 World Champion.
ICF World Ranked No. 2 Caroline Loir (FRA) emphasized that she is the No.1 European boat by successfully defending her Senior European Championship title.
Prague World’s silver medallist Mallory Franklin may have the home water advantage for the first World Cup race at Lee Valley. She also took silver in both Tacen and Augsburg in 2013. She picked up penalties in Vienna and was unable to make the cut for the final.
K1M
Last year’s World Cup series was dominated by the German men with Schubert, Doerfler and Aigner. Surprisingly, Hannes Aigner, Olympic silver medallist from London failed to make the top three boats in German team selection, in part due to the return of the Beijing Olympic Champion Alexander Grimm. Even with their new line-up Germany confirmed their strength winning the European K1M Team event.
“Last year’s World Cup has been very successful for Germany with 1 2 3 in the overall, 3 wins and a further 4 podiums”, said Sebastien Schubert.
“It will be hard to make it again, especially against the strong Czech guys who took gold and silver at the euros last week. But in the team we won the first European team gold for Germany since 2002. Now we are preparing in London for the first World Cup before going to Tacen and Prague for the next World Cups.”
The Czech’s took advantage of home water in Prague with an exceptionally strong win by 26 year old Czech Vavra Hradilek. Sadly he is not racing at Lee Valley. Jiri Prskavec avenged his disappointment at the U23 Worlds in Penrith with a convincing win in Vienna at the Senior Europeans.
Michal Smolen (USA) looked strong during the 2013 season and has stamped his authority with a commanding win to become the 2014 U23 World Champion in April.
K1W
The French ladies were strong in 2013 with Olympic Champion Émilie Fer scooping up the World Championship title, while Jana Dukatova (SVK) held off Jessica Fox (AUS) and Jasmin Schornberg (GER) in the 5 race World Cup series.
Another U23 paddler, Ricarda Funk (GER) took the 2013 U23 European title and then the senior championship title this month in Vienna. China’s Lu Li looked very strong at the U23 Worlds securing a silver medal.
Jessica Fox, 19, won the U23 Worlds having missed out on the final at the Prague Worlds despite being Olympic silver medallist. It must be said that she was in good company. Fox will also defend her Youth Olympic title in Nanjing during August.
Back in action with a K1W team silver from Vienna is Spain’s Maialen Chourraut who took a bronze for Spain at London2012 on Lee Valley.
Fiona Pennie commented; “I'm really excited to be racing on my home course. It will be first time that I have ever raced a major international on what is my home training ground. I'm really looking forward to putting all the knowledge I have of Lee Valley to the test.”
C2
David Florence again with partner Richard Hounslow, Olympic silver medallist and reigning World Champion will be on their home course for this exciting opening World Cup race.
The 2013 season proved an exclusive one for the European boats, with no nation outside Europe making any final at World Cup or World Championships. One can argue, therefore that last weekend’s Senior European Championships in Vienna could be again representative of the World Cup series. Ladislav & Peter Skantar took the individual title and then Slovakia taking the Team title for good measure.
That said, Pavol & Peter Hochschorner have legendary consistency over many years and while uncharacteristically didn’t medal in 2013 are very capable of demonstrating their mastery in C2.
Klauss & Peche will equally wish to defend their title as World Cup series champions. They won the European semi-final so have shown that their form continues.
Lee Valley World Cup 1 race format:
- Friday June 6th – Heats K1M, C1M, C1W, K1W and C2
- Saturday June 7th – Semi-finals & finals K1M, C1M & C1W plus teams
- Sunday June 8th – Semi-finals & finals K1W & C2 plus teams
There are 237 athletes from 35 nations participating at Lee Valley with paddlers from as far as Argentina, Brazil, China, Japan, New Zealand and Canada. This weekend home nation Lee Valley will field 16 boats, including World Champions David Florence & Richard Hounslow. More information is available at http://london.worldcup.events.slalom.canoeicf.com/home
Live results and tweets will be posted to www.sportscene.tv/liveresults. Sportscene will be posting daily updates from this Lee Valley World Cup race so come back to visit the site.
World Cup 2 June 13-15 in Ljubljana, Slovenia
World Cup 3 July 20-22 Prague, Czech Republic
World Cup 4 Aug 1-3 La Seu D’Urgell, Spain
Word Cup 5 Aug 15-17 Augsburg, Germany
Photographer: Jan Homolka