John Gregory | @gregiej | Sportscene -  The deciding race for medals in the overall World Cup series comes back to Augsburg. As a guide to form this season it is the final big international race before the Deep Creek Worlds next month. It is also the 100th year anniversary of the German Canoe Association http://100jahre.deutscherkanuverband.de

World Cup 2014 Rankings (after 4 races)

In all but C2 the current World Cup leaders must make the Augsburg final to keep hopes alive of the 2014 World Cup series win. The Škantár cousins have already mathematically won the 2014 World Cup series with more than 60 points clear in the C2 standings. [Correction - the ICF has indicated double points apply to this World Cup final race and so the overall championship is completely open in each class] For a full listing of the ranking from the first four World Cup races go to http://events.slalom.canoeicf.com/standings/standings-2013/standings-2014.

We saw exciting racing at last year’s Augsburg World Cup where home nation Germany secured 13 boats for the finals and with France topping the medal table with two golds. The winners in the respective classes were Alexander Slafkovsky (SVK) in C1M, Jessica Fox (AUS) in C1W, Paul Boeckelmann (GER) in K1M, Emilie Fer (FRA) in K1W and Gauthier Klauss/ Matthieu Peche (FRA) in C2.

As a reminder the overall 2013 World Cup series champions were: Sideris Tasiadis (GER) in C1M, Jessica Fox (AUS) in C1W, Sebastien Schubert (GER) in K1M, Jana Dukatova (SVK) in K1W and Klauss/ Peche (FRA) in C2.

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

C1M – Canadian Single Men
The Slovakian team was super dominant at our last World Cup outing in Seu with 1st Alexander Slafkovsky, 2nd Matej Benus and 3rd double Olympic Champion Michal Martikán who has finished on the podium at all four World Cup races this year. He leads the World Cup series 13 points ahead of Benjamin Savsek (SLO), with now Matej Benus in 3rd.

Alexander Slafkovsky was also the winner of the 2013 Augsburg World Cup race so we know he is at home on this course. He has also shown his form this season winning the senior European Championships in Vienna.

C1W – Canadian Single Women
Current World Cup leader and defending champion Jess Fox has been in Augsburg training this last week but is now heading off to Nanjing, China as ambassador for the Youth Olympics.

Kateřina Hošková (CZE) is in Augsburg only 4 points behind Fox who is not racing. Hošková has 23 ahead of Ros Lawrence so is mathematically the most likely to win the C1W series title as long as she makes the final. She already has two podium finishes. While Lawrence has twice previously won the World Cup title this would be a new accolade for Hoskova, despite being World Champion in 2011.

K1M – Kayak Single Men
A World Cup series finale with all but Slovenia’s Peter Kauzer on the water. It is good to see Vavra Hradilek on the start line again back from injury. Daniele Molmenti, London Olympic Champion is also again in the fix and up against Alexander Grimm, the Beijing Olympic Champion on his home water. Remember that Molmenti won the Augsburg World Cup final and 2010 series.

The winner from Seu, Samuel Hernanz will be battling on this Augsburg course for another final. We can expect the German men to be especially strong and they are capable of getting all four boats in the final.

In the World Cup standings there are a mere 15 points separating the top 3 men and so the title is still very much for the taking. Last year’s K1M winning time was 97 seconds clear

Can Fabien Lefevre (USA) repeat his form on this Augsburg course which enabled him to win the Worlds here 11 years ago? With just one month to the Deep Creek World’s is it U23 World Champion Michal Smolen (USA) who is peaking at the right time?

K1W – Kayak Single Women
Last World Cup winner, Maialen Chourraut as well as Jess Fox as noted above will be absent in Augsburg and so the final placings for the K1W World Cup series are still sufficiently open.

Austria’s Corinna Kuhnle leads three times World Cup champion Jana Dukatova (SVK) by 14 points, with Fox out Jasmin Schornberg then lies currently in 4th with 158 points and Ursa Kragelj (SLO) in 5th with 155 points. The World Cup series title also came down to a decider in the last race. Interestingly Kuhnle has had three podium finishes this season in the World Cup series; silver at Lee Valley, bronze in Tacen and silver in Seu but has not won a race. She has been in the final in every World Cup race this year, although she was a disappointing 30th in Augsburg last year. It would also represent her first World Cup championship title.

Don’t discount any of the German team ladies who know this Augsburg course so well. Jasmin Schornberg won silver in Tacen or the up and coming 22 year old Ricarda Funk (GER) who won in Prague at World Cup race 3 in addition to the Senior European Championships in Vienna. European Championship silver medallist, Melanie Pfeifer (GER) is also racing at this World Cup.

C2 – Canadian Doubles (Men)
Ladislav & Peter Škantár (SVK) as former World Cup champions from 2009 and 2010 come to Augsburg already with more than a 60 point lead in this 2014 World Cup series, for their third World Cup championship title. [Correction - the ICF has indicated double points apply to this World Cup final race and so the overall championship is completely open in each class]

Slovakia dominated the Seu final of the last World Cup with Škantár/Škantár 1st, Hochschorner/Hochschorner 4th and Kucera/Batik 7th. Peter & Pavol Hochschorner were the fastest C2 crew at last year’s Augsburg World Cup race with their 112.53 second clear semi-final run.

This race will decide who takes 2nd and 3rd overall. Luka Bozic & Saso Taljat (SLO) have had three podium finishes in the first three World Cup races in which they competed. 

Cumulative Medal Table (from four individual World Cup series races)

The German team of 19 boats will be hoping to elevate their standing during this home World Cup final race. Thomas Schmidt was interviewed about the field of 42 participating nations. It is the final big international race before the Deep Creek Worlds next month.

Augsburg Race Format:

• Friday Aug 15th C1M, K1M & C1W heats and then K1W & C2 heats
• Saturday Aug 16th C1M, K1M & C1W semi-final & final followed by teams
• Sunday Aug 17th K1W & C2 semi-final & final followed by teams

More information is available at http://augsburg.worldcup.events.slalom.canoeicf.com Again look and use #canoeslalomworldcup on Twitter. Live results and tweets will be posted to www.sportscene.tv/liveresults. The races are broadcast live on Eurosport TV.

This post is in memory of my Dad who passed away this past weekend, aged 80. Thank you for inspiring me by taking me to Augsburg to paddle as a teenager all those years ago and being so proud to watch me grow.