The final ICF canoe slalom and kayak cross world cup before the 2023 world championships and Olympic qualifiers begin in Spain on Thursday and will provide an exciting preview of the race for Paris 2024 quotas in less than one month.

Reigning Olympic and world champions will take to the raging waters of the La Seu course, the venue where canoe slalom made its triumphant return to the Olympic program at Barcelona in 1992.

After three world cups this season Czech Olympic gold medalist Jiri Prskavec leads the overall men’s K1 standings, courtesy of his wins in Prague and Tacen. He is 11 points clear of Italy’s Giovanni De Gennaro, whose worst result so far this year was a sixth in Tacen

Prskavec also sits fourth on the C1 table in his inaugural season in the canoe, after picking up a bronze in Augsburg and making the final in Prague. Slovenia’s Olympic gold medalist, Benjamin Savsek, leads the overall men’s C1, but by just two points from Slovakia’s Matej Benus. Both Savsek and Benus have not missed a final this season.

Australia’s Olympic gold medalist Jessica Fox and Germany’s Elena Lilik are set for an exciting end to the 2023 world cup season. Fox currently leads the C1 table by six points from Lilik, who has not missed a final all season, while in the K1 it’s Lilik leading Fox, this time by eight points.

In kayak cross two-time world champion Joe Clarke from Great Britain has a solid lead after his bronze in Augsburg and gold in Tacen. Italian Stefanie Horn, despite only contesting two of the world cup kayak cross events, leads the women’s table after a gold in Augsburg and a silver in Prague.

The fourth ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup begins in La Seu, Spain, on Thursday and runs through until Sunday.