The first official ranking list of 2018 has been released ahead of the opening ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup of the season, with not one of the reigning world champions of 2017 enjoying top spot as they head into the new year.

When the first boats hit the water in Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, next week, Czech Vit Prindis, Germany’s Ricarda Funk, Slovakia’s Alexander Slafkovsky and Australia’s Jessica Fox will enjoy the coveted number one ranking in their discipline, even though not one of them were successful at last year’s World Championships in Pau.

But all four paddlers enjoyed incredibly successful 2017 seasons – besides the World Championships. Prindis celebrated three K1 World Cup wins before finishing second in Pau, Funk was invincible in the women’s K1 notching up four World Cup titles, while Fox and Slafkovsky regularly finished on the C1 podium during the season.

Not only are the current world champions missing from the top of the lists; the reigning Olympic gold medallists also find themselves down the list on the opening weekend.

Great Britain’s Joe Clarke is ranked 15^th in the K1, Spain’s Maialen Chourraut third in the women’s K1, and France’s Denis Gargaud Chanut finds himself fifth on the men’s C1 list.

Czech Ondrej Tunka shocked his more fancied teammates to win the K1 world title last year, and will start in Liptovsky as the eighth-ranked competitor.

Fox missed the C1 world title in Pau, but was thrilled to take the women’s K1 crown. The Australian starts this year as the second-ranked K1 paddler.

Slovenia’s Benjamin Savsek finally broke through in Pau for his first C1 world title, and sits second behind Slafkovsky as he sets out to defend his crown, while Great Britain’s Mallory Franklin, who also broke through for her first C1 world crown in France, goes into next week ranked second behind Fox.

The opening 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup will be held in Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, from June 22 to June 24.

The top three current ranked paddlers in each discipline.

WOMEN’S K1

1. FUNK Ricarda               (GER)
2. FOX Jessica                   (AUS)
3. CHOURRAUT Maialen (ESP)

MEN’S K1

1. PRINDIS Vit                    (CZE)
2. KAUZER Peter               (SLO)
3. PRSKAVEC Jiri                (CZE)

WOMEN’S C1

1. FOX Jessica                     (AUS)
2. FRANKLIN Mallory        (GBR)
3. WOODS Kimberley       (GBR)

MEN’S K1

1. SLAFKOVSKY Alexander  (SVK)
2. SAVSEK Benjamin            (SLO)
3. TASIADIS Sideris              (GER)