Olympic medallists Titouan Castryck of France and Evy Leibfarth of the United States have arrived in Foix, France, aiming to turn their red-hot form into age-group world titles.
Foix will hold the International Canoe Federation Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships from Tuesday to Sunday.
A total of 433 athletes from 53 nations across all five continents are poised to take to the French waters in kayak, canoe and kayak cross.
Click here for startlists and live results from Foix
Castryck and Leibfarth, who both clinched medals at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, will compete for U23 world crowns fresh from their victories in the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Series.
It has been a superb start to the season for Castryck having claimed World Cup wins in K1 in both La Seu and Prague.
Leibfarth also comes into the World Championships in buoyant mood after winning her first World Cup in Prague with victory in the K1.
Both have previously tasted success in these age-group World Championships, with Castryck winning the men’s junior K1 titles in 2021 and 2022 and Leibfarth securing three junior crowns, including one in K1 in 2021 and two in kayak cross in 2019 and 2022, and the women’s U23 K1 gold in 2023.
Set to be backed by the Foix crowd, Castryck will face competition for men’s U23 K1 gold from the likes of Czechia’s Jakub Krejci, Italy’s Xabier Ferrazzi and Great Britain’s Sam Leaver.
In the men’s U23 C1, French duo Yohann Senechault and Mewen Debliquy, who picked up World Cup medals in Prague, are expected to battle it out for top honours.
Leibfarth will bid for glory in the K1, C1 and kayak cross in Foix but it won’t be easy considering the impressive field of female paddlers.
Slovakia’s Zuzana Pankova, who topped the C1 podium at the World Cup in Prague, will be among the challengers along with the likes of France’s Emma Vuitton and Slovenia’s Eva Alina Hocevar.
Great Britain’s in-form Lois Leaver is another paddler that is expected to be in the mix for medals in K1 and kayak cross.
Among the juniors, Slovenia’s Ziga Lin Hocevar stands out as the 18-year-old targets further gold medals.
Hocevar has already won three junior world titles so far, including both the K1 and C1 crowns in Liptovsky Mikulas last year.
In the women’s junior categories, Poland’s Hanna Danek and Switzerland’s Eyleen Vuilleumier are the highest ranked in the women’s K1 and women’s C1, respectively.
Full coverage of the ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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