Much-anticipated battles will resume, Slovenian paddlers will hope to fire on home waters and rising stars will seek to shine again at the Tacen Whitewater Centre.
The fourth International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup of the season is poised to deliver fantastic races that will keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Click here for startlists and live results from Tacen
Here are our five things to look out for:
Castryck v Delassus: Episode Four
Of all the battles set to resume in Tacen, this duel is the most intriguing. French duo Titouan Castryck and Anatole Delassus have been trading blows all season in a bid to be the top dog in kayak. Delassus is the defending ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Series champion in the men’s K1 and is in a good position to repeat this feat. Three successive second-placed finishes has put him in the mix for the overall title but he will be determined to go one better in Slovenia. Standing in his way is his compatriot Castryck. The Olympic silver medallist has won two out of the three K1 events, including Prague, this season to move ahead of Delassus. After three World Cups, there is just one point between them, setting up a grandstand finish.
Siblings eye home success
All eyes will be on Eva Alina Hocevar and Ziga Lin Hocevar to see how they will perform on home waters. The Slovenian siblings will be among the host nation’s biggest hopes for success in Tacen. Eva Alina picked up a silver medal in the women’s C1 in Prague and has looked solid in a kayak all season, winning the U23 world title in Foix last month. Ziga Lin returns to his home course where he captured two European titles as a 16-year-old in May last year. The 18-year-old has yet to pick up a World Cup medal this year but boosted his confidence with junior world golds in kayak cross and kayak cross individual as well as silvers in K1 and C1 in Foix. Other Slovenian contenders for medals include Peter Kauzer and Ajda Novak.
No Jessica but Noemie ready to fly Fox flag with pride
One day before competition, the slalom community received the news that Australia’s Jessica Fox had undergone surgery to remove a tumour from her kidney last week. The three-time Olympic gold medallist is now resting up after a successful operation and we wish her a smooth and speedy recovery. She will be sorely missed from the final two World Cups in Tacen and Augsburg and we look forward to seeing her back on the water. With the 31-year-old cheering from back home, her sister Noemie Fox will be determined to deliver success. Her best World Cup results this season came in La Seu where she made the women’s K1 final and in Pau where she ranked sixth in the kayak cross.
Pankova and Leibfarth aiming for repeat
With Jessica Fox absent in Tacen and Augsburg, it is an opportunity for the sport’s rising stars to step up to the plate. Slovakia’s Zuzana Pankova, 20, and United States’ Evy Leibfarth, 21, underlined their burgeoning talent by claiming their first-ever World Cup wins in Prague and will be eager to back that up. Leibfarth struck gold in the women’s K1 before Pankova stole the show in the women’s C1. They continued their great form at the U23 World Championships in Foix with Pankova winning kayak cross individual gold and claiming C1 silver as Leibfarth came out on top. Leibfarth also earned K1 silver and will arrive in Tacen determined to build on that form as she sits in second position, 16 points behind Germany’s Ricarda Funk, in the race for Canoe Slalom World Cup Series glory.
Tricky Tacen course to provide kayak cross test
Looking at the kayak cross course map, it looks set to be an enthralling competition from start to finish. With the start ramp located side-on from the river, paddlers will be immediately faced with a big challenge after splashing down on the water. The first downstream gate will operate more like an upstream with paddlers having to do a clockwise loop to navigate through the two green buoys. Battling against the flow of the river and tussling with their competitors, it has the potential to cause great problems for paddlers. After that, they will then face their two upstream gates before meeting the roll zone as they go head to head for glory. It is one not to be missed.
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