Italy and hosts China finished strong in Canoe Sprint as Switzerland’s Gelindo Chiarello secured his maiden major title by topping the podium in the men’s kayak cross.
The last day of the 2024 International Canoe Federation Hangzhou Super Cup saw Nicolae Craciun and Dawid Szela combine for a superb race to win the men’s canoe double 500m gold medal in 1:46.
The Chinese duo of Yuebin Yu and Chenwei Yu took silver. The event also saw many international athletes from different countries team up.
Moldovan Serghei Tarnovschi was simply sensational in the C2 500m, combining with Poland’s Wiktor Glazunow for bronze.
The kayak double men’s 500m title also went Italy’s way, thanks to Samuele Burgo and Tommaso Freschi who finished in 1:33.
“The race was difficult because the level was very high. It was the first time for us in the water as a pair. We are happy to win gold on our first try,” Burgo said.
Portuguese pair Joao Ribeiro and Messias Baptista, who won the world title last year in the event, took silver while Argentina’s Agustin Vernice teamed up with Spaniard Francisco Cubelos to finish third.
China continued their domination of sprint events with a clean sweep of the women’s K2 500m.
Shimeng Yu and Yule Chen took gold in 1:49, with Ningning Qu and Xuan Li winning silver.
Bronze went to Han Jiang and Jieyi Huang. The women’s sprint athletes for the hosts won gold and silver in the C2 500 as well.
Anshuo Teng and Xina Jiang gave the home fans joy by crossing the line first in 2:01, with Shuqi Li and Lina Xue taking silver.
Paris 2024 Olympic champion Katie Vincent of Canada stood on the podium with Italian Olympia Della Giustina, winning the C2 500m bronze.
The mixed C2 races was highly popular among athletes and Tarnovschi ended the Super Cup in style. He delivered another title in the mixed C2 500m with Sophia Jensen of Canada.
The K2 mixed gold medal went to Emma Aastrand Jorgensen of Denmark and Germany's Olympic champion Max Lemke.
The race aslo saw New Zealand's kayak specialist Aimee Fisher making a retrun to the podium after the disappointment at Paris 2024, winning brone with Burgo.
“I had so much fun. This is my first mixed race and he was so strong. We had such a good finish,” Fisher said.
It was a special day for Chiarello who came out on top in the kayak cross from a tough bracket that had Olympic silver medallist Titouan Castryck.
The Swiss athlete beat two short slalom medallists in Czechia’s Vit Prindis and Jakub Krejci for the win.
“It's my first victory in a big event. I enjoyed it and the whole weekend was good. At world ranking events, I have been on the podium. But that’s it. So I am really happy with the win,” an emotional Chiarello said.
Tereza Kneblova ensured the Czech stood on top of the podium, winning women’s kayak cross gold.
Italian Stefanie Horn and Great Britain’s Mallory Franklin won silver and bronze, respectively.
Medallists from final day
Men's C2 500m
1. Nicolae Craciun and Dawid Szela
2. Yuebin Yu and Chenwei Yu
3. Serghei Tarnovschi and Wiktor Glazunow
Women's C2 500m
1. Anshuo Teng and Xina Jiang
2. Shuqi Li and Lina Xue
3. Katie Vincent and Olympia Della Giustina
Men's K2 500m
1. Samuele Burgo and Tommaso Freschi
2. Joao Ribeiro and Messias Baptista
3. Agustin Vernice and Francisco Cubelos
Women's K2 500m
1. Shimeng Yu and Yule Chen
2. Ningning Qu and Xuan Li
3. Han Jiang and Jieyi Huang
Mixed C2 500m
1. Serghei Tarnovschi and Sophia Jensen
3. Mariami Kerdikashvili and Nicolae Craciun
Mixed K2 500m
1. Emma Aastrand Jorgensen and Max Lemke
2. Mengdie Yin and Agustin Vernice
3. Samuele Burgo and Aimee Fisher
Men's kayak cross
1. Gelindo Chiarello
2. Vit Prindis
Women's kayak cross
2. Stefanie Horn
3. Mallory Franklin
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