ECA PRESS RELEASE: The 2016 ECA Junior Wildwater Canoeing European Championships in Austria started today with individual classic race on the Mur River. Czech Republic justified their role of the favourites winning nine medals during the first competition day. Martina Satkova (CZE) won in women’s kayak and canoe events, her teammate Anežka Paloudova picked up silver medals in both events. Representatives of France, Germany and Italy also found their places on the winner’s podium.
Czech Republic had an excellent start of the 2016 ECA Junior Wildwater Canoeing European Championships in Murau. Already in the first classic event of the day – men’s C1 race – they picked up all three medals. Michal Šmoldas set the fastest time in the classic race. His compatriot Vojtech Skorepa was a little less than 18 seconds behind him and Jan Klima picked up the third medal for Czech Republic.
The outcome of the race was similar also in women’s kayak. Three Czech representatives finished the race in top three positions. Martina Satkova stopped the clock at 21:03.42, Anežka Paloudova was 15.70 seconds behind in second place and Barbora Bayerova was third.
Martina Satkova was unstoppable also in women’s canoe race. Anežka Paloudova was again second, while Alice Panato won a bronze medal for Italy.
Czech C2 Mikulaš Zapletal – Vojtech Zapletal won gold medal too to conclude an amazing day for the Czech team, ahead of Robin Hurard and Jean Baptiste Roth from France and Giacomo Bianchetti – Riccardo Fiorese of Italy.
Cyprien Laroche was the only non-Czech winner of the day. French paddler won the Junior European Champion title in men’s K1 event with a time of 19:35.97. This race was the tightest of all. Nico Paufler from Germany was only 2.76 seconds behind in a second place, while Andrea Bernardi from Italy crossed the finish line in third place.
The competitors in the U23 category also had an opportunity to start at this race, but their results did not count for the European Champion titles. Simon Oven (SLO) was the fastest in men’s kayak event, followed by Anes Sudic (BIH) and Tobias Kroener (GER), Melanie Mathys (SUI), Karolina Paloudova (CZE) and Louise Revell (GBR) reached the podium in women’s kayak classic race, while Theo Viens (FRA), Janosch Suelzer (GER) and Daniel Suchanek (CZE) set the fastest times in men’s canoe. In C1W race Rachel Houston (GBR) finished the race ahead of Katarina Kopunova (SVK). Barbora Kortišova and Katarina Kopunova (SVK) were the only boat on the start of women’s C2 U23 event and in men’s C2 U23 Daniel Suchanek – Filip Jelinek (CZE) were the only ones competing today.
Results: click here
