Italy’s newly-crowned Olympic champion Giovanni De Gennaro will arrive to hero’s welcome when he competes at the International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup in Ivrea.
It is the first World Cup to be staged since last month’s Olympic Games in Paris where De Gennaro struck gold in the men’s kayak.
Italian fans will now look to roar De Gennaro to victory at his home World Cup.
De Gennaro is one of three Olympic gold medallists lining up in Ivrea with Australia’s Noemie Fox and New Zealand’s Finn Butcher also in action.
Fox and Butcher made history by becoming the first-ever Olympic champions in kayak cross which enjoyed a successful debut at Paris 2024.
“I did my first kayak cross session today and I felt so good,” said Fox.
“It’s just so amazing to know that I achieved my goal and had the best possible Olympic experience in Paris and now to come back and be at a World Cup.
“I don’t think many athletes can come back to their sport right after the Olympics but a lot of us are and I think it’s because we love the sport and we are in setting like this in Ivrea.”
Butcher said: “I love coming to Ivrea.
“I have good memories here which makes it easy to come back but it will be a bit of a change having not paddled for a month and then start training again.
“I have been on top of the world so I am happy with whatever happens now and want to enjoy these races.”
A total of 11 medallists from Paris 2024 are among the top-class field that features more than 200 athletes from 45 nations across all five continents.
Joining Fox, Butcher and de Gennaro are British trio Adam Burgess, Joseph Clarke and Kimberley Woods, German duo Elena Lilik and Noah Hegge, Slovakia’s Matej Benus, Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska and United States’ Evy Leibfarth.
There is no Jessica Fox in the field, leaving the door open for others to seal top spot at the World Cup.
As well as winning Olympic gold in both the kayak and canoe in Paris, the Australian star has been in dominant form in the World Cup, underlined by her historic hat-trick of golds in Krakow in June.
Germany’s Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Ricarda Funk will be setting her sights on the women’s K1 crown in Ivrea after missing out on a medal at Paris 2024.
Czechia’s Gabriela Satkova, who is the only woman to beat Fox in the C1 this year, will be seeking to win her second World Cup of the season after her success in Prague.
Competition will run from September 12 to 15.
For the competition schedule, click here.
Full coverage of this week's event can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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