World Cup series insights ahead of Lee Valley Canoe Slalom Worlds
Sportscene | John Gregory | @gregiej – The World Cup final in Pau provided some clear insights in to what to expect and which paddlers are on peak form going into next month’s ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in London.
Congratulations to the new 2015 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup champions; Matej Benus (SVK), Jess Fox (AUS), Peter Kauzer (SLO), Corinna Kuhnle (AUT) & Gauthier Klauss & Matthieu Peche (FRA). Kuhnle successfully defended her World Cup series title from 2014. See the updated table of current champions.
Here is a short review of some key highlights from World Cup 5 in Pau.
Final World Cup 2015 series standings
1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
C1M |
Matej Benus (SVK) 299 |
Benjamin Savsek (SLO) 246 |
Alexander Slafkovsky (SVK) 231 |
C1W |
Jess Fox (AUS) 318 |
Katerina Hoskova (CZE) 246 |
Viktoria Wolffhardt (AUT) 245 |
K1M |
Peter Kauzer (SLO) 257 |
Lucien Delfour (AUS) 236 |
Ondrej Tunka (CZE) 230 |
K1W |
Corinna Kuhnle (AUT) 264 |
Jana Dukatova (SVK) 264 |
Jess Fox (AUS) 252 |
C2M |
Klauss/ Peche (FRA) 306 |
Kaspar/ Sindler (CZE) 276 |
Karlovsky/Jane (CZE) 265 |
Full World Cup standings available here.
Pau race review & analytics
Heat | Semi | Final | |
C1M | Matej Benus | Matej Benus 99.64 (0) | Pierre-Antoine Tillard 97.30 (0) |
C1W | Ana Satila | Nuria Vilarrubla 124.75 (0) | Nuria Villarrubla 124.26 (0) |
K1M | Boris Neveu | Simon Brus 95.74 (0) | Peter Kauzer 96.20 (2) |
K1W | Corinna Kuhnle | Maialen Chourraut 108.60 (0) | Emilie Fer 103.53 (0) |
C2M | Florence/ Hounslow | Prigent/ Kervella 109.02 (0) | Kaspar/ Sindler 107.65 (0) |
Number in brackets show penalties in seconds |
In C1M, it was good to see Casey Eichfeld (USA), fresh from his Pan Am win with second fastest in heat 1 behind Matej Benus (SVK). Team-mate, Fabien Lefevre (USA) was also back on form on a course he knows very well with second fastest in the semi also behind Matej Benus. It demonstrates that reigning World C1 champion Lefevre is still on the pace although he will be sadly absent at the Lee Valley Worlds. “It’s been an important race personally to anticipate the Olympic season. The whitewater of the Pau course made it a worthwhile test. I am satisfied with my couple of runs despite my lack of international races and whitewater training this summer”, said Lefevre.
Eichfeld commented “Racing in Pau was really exciting! Pau was the first World Cup I raced in C1, back in 2009. I have grown a lot since then, and improved my 40 something finishes to the occasional top 10. It is motivating to see the progress, and it was great having such a strong qualification race my first time back in Pau since then.”
Local former World Champion, Denis Gargaud Chanut (FRA) was also on good form with two very consistent runs with 3rd in semi and bronze in the final. He commented, “I had a nice two weekend of racing in La Seu and Pau gold and bronze! This is nice to close the international season on such positive vibes and it comforts me on my preparations for the Olympics next year”.
1st | Pierre-Antoine Tillard | FRA | 97.30 sec |
2nd | Matej Benus | SVK | +0.53 |
3rd | Denis Gargaud Chanut | FRA | +1.79 |
In C1W, while her home Seu World Cup race had not gone the way of U23 World Champion Nuria Vilarrubla (ESP) she was fastest in Pau in both the semi-final and final, ahead of Jess Fox (AUS) in both instances.
“It was really a great weekend in Pau. The organisation did an incredible job and there was a great crowd all weekend to enjoy the show and some activities as well. The atmosphere was exciting. The courses were very tricky and I had a bit of trouble in the C1 in the final but happy to come away with the silver which gained me the overall win.” described Fox.
Pan Am Champion, Ana Satila (BRA) took the heat 1 win, although her time of 112.04 clear was later eclipsed by Kimberley Woods (GBR) in heat 2 with 107.34 clear.
1st | Nuria Vilarrubla | ESP | 124.26 sec |
2nd | Jess Fox | AUS | +1.59 |
3rd | Viktoria Wolffhardt | AUT | +2.82 |
In K1M, it is wonderful to see Peter Kauzer (SLO) back on such great form. He had been World Cup champion in both 2009 and 2011 in the years that he also won the World Championships. Watch out Lee Valley! Not everything had gone Kauzer’s way. After a shaky heat 1 he was quickest in heat 2 in 83.86 second clear, which was just quicker than Boris Neveu’s (FRA) 83.99 seconds in heat 1.
Kauzer said afterwards; “I felt very good on the water all week long. I had lots of fun during my run. I really love this course. The only time I didn't paddle like I know was in the 1st run of the heats. I knew I could do a good time in the final so after that early touch in gate 5 I stayed focused and paddled like I used to through the finish. At the end it was tight race but I'm happy that I did a good run without any big mistakes.
The unofficial results had initially shown Vivien Colober (FRA) as the winner but he was judged to have incurred a 50-second penalty which elevated Kauzer to gold before the results become official. The outcome of the World Cup series and indeed the ICF ranking was impacted by a 50-second penalty on gate 17 awarded to Vavra Hradilek (CZE) in the semi-final. He had been leader of the World Cup series to that point and would otherwise have made the final. The eventual podium places were separated by the slimmest margin of only 0.02 seconds.
1st | Peter Kauzer | SLO | 96.20 sec |
2nd | Mathieu Doby | BEL | +0.01 |
3rd | Lucien Delfour | AUS | +0.02 |
In K1W, on the back of her Seu first ever World Cup win, 2014 World Cup series champion Corinna Kuhnle (AUT) was second in the semi and third in the final 2.95 seconds with one touch behind the race winning Emilie Fer (FRA).
“It was a nice race at home in Pau with incredible spectators. A big surprise, at the finish lane for me to see I'm just before Jess with my mistake”, said the Olympic Champion and race winner Fer.
Reigning World Champion, Jess Fox (AUS) reflected on the week in Pau, “I just really enjoyed myself. I was happy to be in the final after an average semi and I just went for it and felt good on the water and in all the moves. I was very happy with that run so I can't complain with another silver!” Then added; “The French put on a good show in front of the home crowd!”
1st | Emilie Fer | FRA | 103.53 sec |
2nd | Jess Fox | AUS | +0.37 |
3rd | Corinna Kuhnle | AUT | +2.95 |
In C2, David Florence & Richard Hounslow (GBR) started with great promise with the fastest run in the heats more than a second quicker than the two French podium finishers.
Notably, there were four French crews in the final and two Czech Republic crews battling it out for the podium spots. The Czech crews of Kaspar/Sindler and Karlovsky/Jane had taken the more circuitous route with 1st and 2nd respectively in heat 2 on route to the semi-final.
Gauthier Klauss & Matthieu Peche (FRA) were able to preserve their points gap coming into this World Cup final and with a podium finish ensure they become the World Cup series champions again as they had been in 2013.
1st | Kaspar/ Sindler | CZE | 107.65 sec |
2nd | Klauss/Peche | FRA | +1.67 |
3rd | Prigent/ Kervella | FRA | +2.23 |
Race percentages
Prague WC1 | Name | Nation | Time | Percentage |
K1M | Peter Kauzer | SLO | 96.20 | 100% |
C1M | Pierre-Antoine Tillard | FRA | 97.30 | 101% |
C1W | Nuria Vilarrubla | ESP | 124.26 | 129% |
K1W | Emilie Fer | FRA | 103.53 | 107% |
C2M | Kaspar/ Sindler | CZE | 107.65 | 112% |
2015 World Cup series medal table from individual races
Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
France | 7 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
Czech Replic | 6 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
Slovakia | 4 | 4 | 8 | |
Australia | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
Spain | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
Great Britain | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Austria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Germany | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Belgium | 1 | 1 | ||
Ukraine | 2 | 2 | ||
Brazil | 1 | 1 | ||
Poland | 1 | 1 | ||
At the conclusion to the Seu World Cup France had elevated themselves to 2nd overall. With two individual golds in Pau to the Czech’s one it was enough to secure an overall top spot for France in this year’s World Cup series as they were in 2013.
Jess Fox had speculated that both the French and Spanish teams could be expected to do well in Pau and so it turned out with gold for Tillard (FRA), Vilarrubla (ESP) and Fer (FRA) in C1M, C1W and K1W respectively.
The biggest surprise for some is seeing the German team down in 9th after they showed such dominance in the 2013 and with Sebastien Schubert being World Cup champion in 2013 and 2014. Only 12 months ago Slovakia had topped the table ahead of Germany and Great Britain.
It is good to see medals divided among 13 nations the same as last year although the make-up of nations was a little different with no medals for China, Italy or USA but medals instead for Ukraine, Brazil and Belgium.
Remaining season
- ECA Junior / U23 European Championships – Krakow, Poland, August 26-30
- Senior World Championships – Lee Valley, UK, September 16-20
I will be providing live race tweets through the World Championships using #ICFslalom all season. Follow me @gregiej.
Photo credits: Ettore Ivaldi, FFCK, Balint Vekassy