Penrith, Australia is ready to hold the International Canoe Federation Slalom World Championships for the first time in 20 years.
It will bring back many fond memories for those that were gripped by the pulsating action in 2005 - a year that is embedded in Australian slalom paddling folklore.
So let’s take a trip down memory lane by looking back at what happened in Penrith two decades ago.
Bell chimes as Australians enjoy golden moment
Surely a hometown hero could not possibly upstage two Olympic greats to become world champion in front of a partisan Penrith crowd. That’s just a pipe dream, right? Wrong. Astonishingly, this fairytale situation did play out, creating one of the most memorable moments in Australian slalom history. Up step, Robin Bell. This Aussie paddler overcame France’s Tony Estanguet and Slovakia’s Michal Martikan to seal men’s canoe single gold. It was not a complete surprise as Bell had come close before, winning silver in 1999 and was in fantastic form having won the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Series in 2005, but he delivered a moment that will live long in the memory for Australians.
Kaliska shows class in capturing kayak crown
This was a golden period for Slovakia’s Elena Kaliska. Almost every time the Slovakian paddler entered a competition, she finished it with a gold medal around her neck. Kaliska won four of the World Cup Series events in 2004 and captured her first Olympic crown in Athens that year. One year later, Kaliska continued her unstoppable form by adding a world title to her Olympic success, winning by almost three seconds in a sensational victory in Penrith. Despite her dominance on the international circuit and her longevity in the sport, this was to be the two-time Olympic champion’s only individual world crown as her other gold came in the team event in 2011.
Doerfler delivers German delight in Penrith
Germany was no stranger to experiencing joy in the men’s K1 after the likes of Oliver Fix, Siegbert Horn and Thomas Becker clinched gold. And Fabian Doerfler became the latest German kayaker to seal top honours courtesy of his victory in Penrith. Doerfler had earned his first World Cup victory in Augsburg that year and continued his superb form with an impressive triumph at the World Championships. Doerfler saw off double world champion Fabien Lefevre of France to claim the world title. Further success came his way, winning team gold medals in 2007 and 2010 and several World Cup titles but this was the biggest moment of his career.
France and Germany share top spot in overall standings
With five gold medals each, France and Germany finished as the joint most successful nations at the World Championships in 2005. Along with Doerfler’s triumph in the K1, Germany also struck gold in the canoe double as Christian Bahmann and Michael Senft emerged victorious. France’s two gold medals came in the team events. Estanguet linked up with Olivier Lalliet and Pierre Labarelle to seal the men’s C1 team crown and Lefevre partnered Julien Billaut and Benoit Peschier to the men’s K1 team title. Second place in the medals table was Slovakia with four, including Kaliska’s gold, while Czechia and Australia were the other gold medallist after the respective success of Bell in the men’s C1 and Irena Pavelkova, Marcela Sadilova and Stepanka Hilgertova in the women’s K1 team event.
Olympic legacy on display in Penrith
Five years after hosting the Canoe Slalom competition at the Olympic Games Sydney 2000, the Penrith Whitewater Centre was back under the global spotlight. There was a buzz of excitement as fans who were captivated by Sydney 2000 flooded back into the venue to witness more dreams being made. It was an historic moment for Australia as it was the first time the nation had hosted the ICF Slalom World Championships and Penrith provided the perfect stage for it. The Penrith Whitewater Centre has continued to ensure a fantastic legacy of the Olympic Games in 2000 as it also held the Junior and U23 World Championships in 2014 and will this week host the World Championships for a second time.
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