Denmark’s Emma Jorgensen picked up her fourth medal of the Championships as the canoe sprint competition at the Krakow-Malopolska 2023 European Games came to an end on Saturday in Poland.
Jorgensen won the K1 500 to regain the European title she lost last year, and to cement herself as the most successful athlete of the championships.
“So many feelings in my body right now and I do not know where to start,” Jorgensen said.
“I am very happy because I was very tired before the final and I even had to change my warm up routine. Before the race itself I had a good feeling and thought ‘OK, this is not too bad’ even though I still felt pain in my arms.”
Jorgensen’s final medal of the championships came in the mixed K2 200, where she finished second alongside boyfriend Magnus Sibbersen. Portugal’s Teresa Portela and Kevin Santos won the gold. Earlier she had won gold in the women’s K1 200, her third consecutive title over this distance.
Czech Martin Fuksa continued his incredible run of victories in the men’s C1 500, taking his ninth consecutive gold medal in the event.
“I am overwhelmed now, because I just realised that I have won the 500 metres race for the ninth time at the European championships, and this is the first time this discipline was present at the European Games so it makes it even more incredible,” Fuksa said.
Hungary’s Adam Varga continued his stellar season with victory in the men’s K1 500, edging out great rival Fernando Pimenta from Portugal, while reigning world champion Liudmyla Luzan of Ukraine won the women’s C1 500.
It capped off a successful championships for Luzan, who won gold alongside Valeriia Tereta in the women’s C2 500 on the opening day.
Ukraine also picked up gold on day one in the men’s K2 500, through Oleh Kukharyk and Ihor Trunov. Italy’s Gabriele Casadei and Carlo Tacchini won the men’s C2 500.
The mixed C2 200 was won by Spain’s Antia Jacome and Pablo Grana.
Earlier in the competition Poland’s Anna Pulawska and Karolina Naja gave their home crowd a boost by taking gold in the women’s K2 500, successfully defending their European title. Naja and Pulawska were also half of the Polish women’s K4 500 crew who won gold on the opening day of competition. On day two Dorota Borowska took gold for Poland in the C1 200.
Lithuania’s Henrikas Zustautas successfully defended his C1 200 title, while Portugal’s Messias Baptista won the men’s K1 200.
Spain won the men’s K4 500.
Ukraine finished as the most successful canoe sprint nation at the European Games, topping the medal table with three gold and two silver medals, with host nation Poland on three gold, a silver and a bronze in second place.
Spain won the most medals of the competition, with two gold, three silver and two bronze.
