Four sets of medals in canoe slalom to be awarded on Sunday
On the last day of the European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023 canoe slalom paddlers will fight for the remaining four sets of medals. In the first part of the competition day we will follow canoe semifinals and finals and in the afternoon kayak cross events.
The last canoe slalom competition day in Kolna Sports Centre will start at 9:04 when men’s canoe semifinal is on the programme and 30 athletes will fight for ten spots in the final, which will start at 11:40.
Franz ANTON (GER) was the best in the heats and will start the last in the semifinal in his quest to repeat the success from his first run at the European Games. His teammate Sideris TASIADIS, Slovenians Benjamin SAVSEK and Luka BOZIC, France’s Lucas ROISIN, Nicolas GESTIN and Jules BERNARDET, Ryan WESTLEY and Adam BURGESS (GBR), Lukas ROHAN, Vaclav CHALOUPKA and Jiri PRSKAVEC (CZE), Slovaks Matej BENUS, Alexander SLAFKOVSKY and Marko MIRGORODSKY and others will try to be in the top ten after the semifinals, which would give them the ticket to the final and a chance to fight for the European Games medals.
Olympic Champion Benjamin SAVSEK (SLO) is the defending European Champion and will be looking to win his fifth European Champion title. Sideris TASIADIS (GER) was second in 2022 and Miquel TRAVE (ESP) third.
Women’s canoe semifinal will follow at 10:10, and like in the men’s event, top ten paddlers from the semifinal will quality to the final, which starts at 12:10.
In 2022, Mallory FRANKLIN (GBR) celebrated European Champion title ahead of Marjorie DELASSUS (FRA) and Tereza FISEROVA (CZE). All three safely qualified to the semifinal, FRANKLIN with the seventh result of the heats, DELASSUS was fifth and FISEROVA fourth.
Elena LILIK (GER) was the fastest in Friday’s heats, followed by Tereza KNEBLOVA (CZE) and Elena MICOZZI (ITA). Local favourite Klaudia ZWOLINSKA (POL), who won silver medal on Saturday in women’s kayak, will try to repeat the success also in canoe.
At 15:05 the last canoeing competition of the European Games will start with men’s and women’s kayak cross quarterfinals. On Saturday, time trials were held which gave names of the top 16 athletes who will fight for the medals in the elimination group phase.
In 2022 the following athletes won medals in kayak cross competition of the European Championships: Jan ROHRER (SUI), Mario LEITNER (AUT) and Felix OSCHMAUTZ (AUT) in men’s event, and Tereza FISEROVA (CZE), Mallory FRANKLIN (GBR) and Ajda NOVAK (SLO). One thing is certain, ROHRER and FISEROVA will not defend their titles, since their competition in kayak cross concluded in Saturday’s time trials where they failed to be among the top 16.
The complete competition schedule and results can be found here.
European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023 is the Europe’s biggest multidisciplinary sporting event in 2023. More than 7 thousand athletes are competing in 26 sports and 29 disciplines for 253 gold medals. More than that, European Games 2023 are part of the qualification process for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 in 19 sports. This great celebration of sports starts with opening ceremony in Krakow on 21st of June. The closing ceremony will take place on July 2nd.