Sweden’s Melina Andersson and Denmark’s Mads Brandt Pedersen reasserted their kayak dominance with gold medals at the International Canoe Federation Canoe Marathon World Championships in Gyor, Hungary.
After letting slip their short race crowns on Thursday, Pedersen and Andersson proved too strong over the long distance as they retained their titles.
Andersson overcame home favourite and five-time winner Vanda Kiszli before Pedersen cruised to victory.
There was a shock in the canoe as Hungary’s Giada Bragato triumphed to end Ukraine’s Liudmyla Babak’s long winning streak, while Mateusz Zuchora got the better of fellow Polish paddler and defending champion Mateusz Borgiel.
Click here for live startlists and results from Gyor
Kiszli was the dominant force in women’s K1 before Andersson broke her stranglehold with two gold medals at last year’s World Championships in Metkovic.
With the home crowd behind her, Kiszli would have been looking to gain revenge as she remained on Andersson’s tail.
Kiszli pushed Andersson all the way as the two broke clear of the rest but it was the Swede who emerged victorious.
Andersson triumphed in 1:56:38.69 as Kiszli claimed silver in 1:56:42.74 and Norway’s Anna Margrete Sletsjoee collected bronze in 1:58:41.
“This means a lot to me,” said Andersson.
“I didn’t want it to be a one-time thing and wanted to continue to be really good in the marathon.
“Vanda was very strong. I felt quite pressured and knew that I had to give it my all.
“A lot of my success is down to my coach. He keeps me working hard and focusing on the right things.
“I want to keep pushing harder as I want to be the best.”
Pedersen won his fifth men’s K1 long distance title and third in succession with an outstanding display.
The Dane was in a class of his own as he pulled clear of the field and never looked back, winning in 1:58:48.14.
“You are always going to be happy to win a World Championships and this is amazing,” said Pedersen.
“This is a really fast course as the time was under two hours. The venue here and the atmosphere doesn’t get much better than this.
“Gyor is the home of marathon racing, so to compete here today with all these people watching and cheering us on is fantastic.”
In the end, South Africa’s Andrew James Birkett sealed silver in 2:00:19.78, with Hungary’s Csanad Sellyei claiming bronze in 2:00:21.02.
Bragato pulled off a stunning performance to win the women’s C1 long distance crown as Babak’s dominance came to an end.
Babak had claimed seven successive gold medals in the event, stretching from 2017 to 2024, but that run ended in Hungary.
As Babak battled back after a poor start, Bragato found another gear as she forged ahead to win in 1:17:16.13.
It was a memorable win for Bragato who claimed junior bronze when Gyor last held the World Championships and was competing on the global Canoe Marathon stage for the first time since 2019.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Bragato.
“I never believed I could get a gold medal so to win it is amazing.
“Babak is an all-time champion in Canoe Marathon. After six years away from Canoe Marathon, I didn’t know where I would be in this as I think I’m a sprinter and I know my place.
“Now after the race, I now know my place.”
Moldova’s Daniela Cociu claimed silver in 1:17:45.84 as Babak picked up bronze in 1:18:18.28.
There was a Polish one-two in the men’s C1 long distance final as Zuchora got the better of Borgiel.
Little separated the two as they moved ahead of Spain’s Fernando Busto Bandin.
Zuchora won the title in 1:43:20.20 as Borgiel came second in 1:43:23.16 and Busto Bandin secured bronze in 1:43:30.95.
“Last year, Mateusz was the world champion in C1, now I beat him so I am very happy,” said Zuchora.
“We train together and today we share the podium together.”
There were victories for Hungary in the junior events with success in the kayak double and canoe double.
Panni Hudi-Kadler and Panka Zatyko combined to win women’s K2 junior gold in 1:20:09.50, beating fellow Hungarians Lotti Jambor and Reka Sara Katona who crossed in 1:22:07.32 for silver. The bronze medal went to Denmark’s Karen Stoubaek Andersen and Frida Hinge in 1:23:20.08.
Vince Farago-Toth gained redemption as he helped deliver another gold for Hungary. After a late blunder cost him the men’s C1 junior title yesterday, the 15-year-old responded by teaming up with Abel Farago-Toth to win men’s C2 junior gold in 1:05:43.05.
It was another Hungarian one-two with Illes Hancz and Arnold Gyuros sealing silver in 1:07:02.36, while Spain’s Alberto Ruiz and Jorge Perez bagged bronze in 1:07:44.53.
In the men’s junior K1 long distance, Ireland’s Sean Butterly came out on top in a time of 1:31:22.93.
South Africa’s Keegan Vogt pushed Butterly all the way to rank second in 1:31:25.67 as Individual Neutral Athlete Ivan Nekrasov finished in 1:32:05.70 for bronze.
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