Italy’s Cecilia Panato bagged a hat-trick of gold medals on a sensational opening day of the International Canoe Federation Wildwater Canoeing World Championships in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Panato topped the podium in both the women’s canoe and kayak classic events as well as the women’s canoe double alongside her sister.
Croatia’s Emil Milihram rolled back the years to clinch the men’s C1 classic title aged 43, while Belgium’s Leo Montulet took gold in the men’s K1 classic.
Click here for the start lists and live results from Banja Luka
Nicolas Sauter and Theo Viens secured success in the men’s C2 classic for France.
Panato opened her campaign with victory in the women’s K1 classic, finishing in 16:32.85.
Fellow Italian Mathilde Serena Rosa earned silver in 16:52.23, while Kristina Novosadova of Czechia completed the podium in 16:57.16.
Montulet claimed the men’s K1 classic title in 15:34.15, holding off French pair Maxence Barouh and Augustin Reboul, who finished second and third respectively in 15:37.51 and 15:40.73.
In the men’s C1 classic, Milihram produced one of the performances of the day to take gold in 16:59.79.
France again filled the remaining podium positions, with Nicolas Sauter claiming silver in 17:09.07 and Theo Viens taking bronze in 17:10.53.
Panato later sealed her second gold medal of the day in the women’s C1 classic with a winning time of 18:24.25.
France’s Laura Fontaine finished second in 18:37.09, while Alice Panato edged into bronze just one hundredth of a second behind to add to a memorable day for the Panato sisters.
The talented siblings enjoyed more success when they claimed victory in the women’s C2 classic, completing a stunning golden hat-trick for Cecilia Panato.
The Italian pair finished in 17:55.77, ahead of Swiss duo Hannah Mueller and Mona Clavadetscher in 18:11.95 and Great Britain’s Kerry Christie and Emma Christie in 18:19.65.
France took the top spot in the men’s C2 classic with Sauteur and Viens taking gold in 16:34.58 and brothers Manoel Roussin and Tanguy Roussin claiming silver in 16:40.68.
Germany’s Normen Weber and Ole Schwarz completed the podium in 16:52.39.
Full coverage of the ICF Wildwater Canoeing World Championships can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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