After today’s prelims at the ECA European Freestyle Championships in Lienz the Brits take the lead in four out of fife categories. Only in the K1-Ladys defending euro- champion Marlène Devillez (FRA) keeps Britain’s double-world-champ Claire O’Hara from taking the lead – for now.

Bright sunshine and constant water levels welcomed the athletes today at the ECA European Freestyle Championships in Lienz (Austria). Until Saturday 145 competitors enter the fight to find out who are the best freestyle-paddlers in Europe. To provide fair conditions to all athletes, the Drava’s water level is kept constantly high by the Tyrolean Water Power AG (TIWAG).

Today’s programme was opened by the OC1-competitors in their “bathtubs”. According to the international rules in freestyle canoeing, the boats must be able to hold at least 40 litres of water. This makes it very challenging for the paddlers to score their moves in the hole, especially as there is a sticky pocket waiting on one side of the river. Britain’s Paul King could deal best with it and put himself to the lead with strong 30 points. On 2nd position is his team-mate Josh Wedgwood followed by Aitor Goioetxea from Spain. Toby Hüther and Philipp Hitzigrath from Germany as well as Tomasz Czaplicki from Poland are tied on 4th place. Therefore six competitors will take part in the OC1 Finals on Saturday.

A tight competition may be expected in the K1-Ladies: Britain’s Claire O’Hara showed two dynamic runs including precisely performed high-score-moves, which gained her 470 points in total. The reigning double-world-champion made a clear statement: the only way to winning is by beating her. Nonetheless there is someone else in the lead: already two years ago defending champ Marlène Devillez (FRA) claimed the air space above the Drava to be hers. Today, she sticked to that manner and showed her excellent aerial loops, mc nastys and space godzillas. Sweden’s Maria Lindgren and Nina Csonkova from Slovakia are tied on 3rd place.
Also qualified for the semi finals are: Kari Olnes (NOR), Andrea Kaspers (GER), Eva Filová (SVK), Alexandra Cisarová (SVK), Anne Hübner (GER) and Tora Heggem (NOR).

„Very British“ is the lead at the K1 junior men’s: Bren Orton (GBR) set today’s high- score at 1115 points, more then 700 of which he gained in his first run - a true firework of high-score-moves! Ranked 2nd to 4th are Orton’s team-mates James Benns, Brandon Hepburn and Sam Stephenson. The Brits keenest challenger in the semi-finals on Friday will be Yannick Münchow from Germany, who became 5th. But also Ander de Miguel (ESP), Sindre Slalien (NOR), Iker Carreto (ESP), Michel Hasselwander (GER) and Lane De Meulenaere (BEL) will show their best.

Very tight is the lead in C1: Adam Ramadan (GBR) set the high-score at 500 points but his runner up Lukas Cervinka (CZE) is just 20 points back. Ranked 3rd is Aitor Goikoetxea from Spain, followed by Nicolas Fayol from France. Germanys Philipp Hitigrath, who became 2nd at last years world championships is ranked 5th. Also Jonas Unterberg (GER), John O’Rourke (IRL), Bartosz Czauderna (POL), Jan Choutka (CZE) and the tied Sören Kohnert (GER) and Jack Gunter (GBR) made it to the semi finals.

Precision, solid draft and a little grace were needed in the last prelim today: the squirt men’s. Either in regular freestyle boats or specialised squirt kayaks the competitors twirled down an approximately 80 meters long river section. Each type of boat has their advantages: flat squirt boats go deep for mystery-bonus, short freestyle kayaks are easier to cartwheel in the quite shallow river bed of the Drava.

The lead was taken by a classic squirter, who is – as most leaders today – from Great Britain: Ben Aldred could score precious mystery-time which multiplied his score up to 814 points. Ranked 2nd is Tomasz Czaplicki from Poland, who showed some solid flat water freestyle combined with traditional squirt-elements and gained some valuable points in the hole. Is team-mate Bartosz Czaderna is ranked 3rd followed by Helmut Wolff (GER), Michal Wrzal (POL), Bostjan Gomboc (SLO), Adrian Durrant (IRL), Jochen Eickhoff (GER) and Tom Goddard and Paul King from Britain.

Tomorrow’s competition programme starts off with the K1 Junior women’s prelims. The girls will be on the water by 10 o’clock. 45 minutes later ist is getting serious as the K1 men enter the watery stage on the Drava. Stay tuned!

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