France swept to four gold medals in the classic races at the International Canoe Federation Wildwater Canoeing World Cup in Mezzana, Italy.
Lise Vinet, Augustin Reboul and Nicolas Sauteur delivered individual titles for France before Laura Fontaine and Eve Vitali-Guilbert triumphed.
The high water level of the Noce stream made the course much more challenging and forced the organisers to change the race route, cancelling the national Canoe Slalom race and postponing the Italian Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championship scheduled for Sunday.
Vinet claimed women’s K1 gold in a time of 11:54.00 as Klara Vankova of Czechia earned silver and Giulia Formenton of Italy secured bronze.
France also came out on top in the men’s K1 with Reboul triumphing in 11:04.23.
Belgium’s Leo Montulet sealed silver with Belgium’s Andreas Heilinger bagging bronze.
Nicolas Sauteur delivered another gold for France when he captured the men’s C1 crown in in 11:51.86.
Czechia’s Ondrej Rolenc claimed silver while Theo Viens joined fellow Frenchman Sauteur on the podium with bronze.
There was home success when Cecilia Panato emerged victorious from the women’s C1 race.
Panato, who won two golds at last week’s World Cups in Veles, North Macedonia, triumphed in 12:15.80.
France’s Laura Fontaine clinched silver with Italy’s Alice Panato sealing bronze.
Czechia’s Daniel Suchanek and Rolenc overcame French duo Sauteur and Viens in a thrilling men’s C2 race.
Suchanek and Rolenc crossed the finish line in 11:34.84, beating Sauteur and Viens by just 0.21.
Pierre Troubady and Hugues Moret of France were the bronze medallists.
France’s Fontaine teamed up with Vitali-Guilbert to win the women’s C2 title in 12:28.85.
Great Britain’s Emma Christie and Kerry Christie, who captured two gold medals in Veles, had to settle with silver, while the bronze medal went to Czechia’s Anna Vikova and Janna Strilicova.
Sprint races will begin tomorrow with the heats before the finals take place on Saturday.
The sprint finals, scheduled to take place from 3pm to 4.30pm on Saturday, will be broadcast exclusively and live on Rai Sport + HD.
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