German paddlers Andrea Herzog and Sideris Tasiadis thrilled a capacity crowd with two gold medals on an exciting final day of the ICF Canoe and Extreme Slalom World Championships in Augsburg on Sunday.
Herzog added the women’s C1 title to the gold she won in 2019, while Tasiadis broke through for his first individual world championship gold in a career which began in 2005. Both paddlers were roared on by more than 8000 fans who had already tasted gold 24 hours earlier when Ricarda Funk won K1 gold.
Tasiadis bellowed his joy and pumped the air when he realised the gold medal was his, watching on as German teammate Franz Anton clinched third with the final run of the day. His world title now sits aside Olympic silver and bronze medals.
“The feeling is so amazing, the pressure was high, but I managed it well before the start,” Tasiadis said.
“But I love to have so much pressure on me, because then I can do better my line.
“Olympic medals are the highest level, and then this medal now. This is a dream that comes true. It is amazing to have this gold. This is like a new history, after 50 years when the Olympic Games was here.”
Alexander Slafkovsky, at 39 the oldest paddler on the course, took the silver medal. The Slovakian posted an incredible raw time of 98.23, the only paddler to go under 100 seconds, but two gate touches pushed him below Tasiadis.
Franz Anton, the 2018 world champion, took the bronze.
Andrea Herzog became world champion in 2019, took Olympic bronze in Tokyo, but had not made a podium since, before edging out Olympic gold medalist Jessica Fox and silver medalist Mallory Franklin on Sunday.
Herzog said she was always confident she could turn her form around, eventually winning even with a two-second penalty.
“It’s definitely special, but I think every medal is special, it doesn’t matter if it’s the world championships in La Seu or the Olympic Games in Tokyo,” she said.
“But in front of this home crowd it’s even more special. I just tried to stay calm, because my first two gates were not so good.
“I was still sure that I could make it into the finals and I could win a medal, because I was feeling pretty confident here.”
Fox picked up her second silver medal of the weekend, after also finishing second behind Ricarda Funk in the women’s K1 on Saturday, while 2017 world champion Mallory Franklin of Great Britain was third.
RESULTS
WOMEN’S C1
- HERZOG Andrea (GER) 111.72 (2 seconds in penalties)
- FOX, Jessica (AUS) 112.64 (0)
- FRANKLIN Mallory (GBR) 117.05 (2)
MEN’S C1
- TASIADIS Sideris (GER) 101.05 (0)
- SLAFKOVSKY Alexander (SVK) 102.23 (4)
- ANTON Franz (GER) 102.66 (0)
Pics by Balint Vekassy
