Experienced Czech paddler Vit Prindis has revealed that he has “set one more ambitious plan for next year” as he looks to prolong his Canoe Slalom career.
Prindis has posted a message his LinkedIn account confirming that he has no plans to retire and is already looking forward to next season.
The 35-year-old has enjoyed a successful career to date, winning the men’s kayak world title in 2022 and capturing multiple International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup Series crowns.
But his hopes of representing Czechia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games were dashed after failing to secure a quota in kayak cross.
Focusing his attention on the new Olympic event, Prindis started the season well by winning the European title in the kayak cross time trial before earning silver at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Krakow.
However, Prindis came up short in the kayak cross global qualification tournament on his home course in Prague in June which he says “hurt a lot”.
“Before this year, I logically set big goals,” Prindis posted on LinkedIn.
“I think that if I hadn't done it, I wouldn't have been able to learn and move forward a long time ago.
“However, it brings with it a greater degree of risk that the goal may not be met.
“The main driver in training for this year was the chance to fight my way to the Olympics in Paris in a new discipline of kayak cross.
“I also partially put slalom on the back burner so that I could get to the best possible level in a few months and be competitive in the world field, which we have objectively missed in recent years.
“I think I succeeded, as evidenced by the result from the European Championships, when I managed to win gold in the time trial of this discipline and also silver from the World Cup in Poland.
“But the main thing, the nomination for the Olympics, eluded me on my home track in Troja during the world nomination.
“It hurt a lot because I gave it everything and I felt I had a chance.
“Still, I don't regret anything.
“The whole journey was a lot of fun thanks to the people around me and I learned a lot of new things.”
Prindis won the overall World Cup title in men’s kayak in 2017, 2021 and 2023 but was unable to defend his crown as he placed sixth.
After a frustrating year, Prindis insisted he was determined to carry next season which will conclude with the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Penrith.
“From the slalom point of view, it was also weaker, perhaps because of the greater concentration on the second discipline,” Prindis added.
“I did not finish among the top three World Cup competitors this year for the first time in eight years.
“I finished fifth at the European Championships, out of the medal thanks to one stupid touch.
“What now?
“This year I don't plan to hang up my paddle yet, but I have set one more ambitious plan for next year, which I will try to fulfill.”
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