Home favourite Ricarda Funk and Czechia’s in-form paddler Jakub Krejci delivered standout performances on the opening day of the International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup in Augsburg, Germany.
It was a high-stakes day, with Funk claiming victory on home waters in the women’s K1, while Krejci secured his second K1 gold of the series.
Italy celebrated a double podium in the men’s K1, France’s Camille Prigent continued her strong form, and Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska also joined the celebrations with a solid finish.
Here’s what the medallists had to say after a thrilling Friday.
Click here for live startlists and results from Augsburg
Women’s Kayak
Ricarda Funk (GER – gold)
“I’m really, really happy. A gold medal on home waters is something very special. Winning in front of family and friends is an amazing feeling. When you have a great run and hear everyone cheering, it makes it even more special. Augsburg is my hometown, it’s where I train a lot, and my family is still here, so racing here always means a lot to me. Despite the bad weather, it was great to have so much support from friends and the crowd - you could really hear the atmosphere on the course. I’m also happy with how I performed. After being fastest in the heats and winning the final, I’m pleased with the result, even though the course was quite tricky. The conditions were challenging, but I enjoy that kind of racing. I’m very excited for what’s coming next, especially heading back to the US. The courses there are challenging, but that’s exactly what I like.”
Camille Prigent (FRA – silver)
“I’m really happy. I had a few mistakes in my run, but overall it was still quite a good run. I wasn’t sure if it would be enough for the podium or even the win, especially going early and then having to wait a long time. So I’m really pleased with silver. And honestly, a legend beat me today [Funk], so that’s okay. The course was quite tricky, especially some of the bottom gates where you come in quite tired. That made it really interesting, and I was fighting a lot in that section during my final. The weather itself didn’t really bother me, it was more the difficulty of the course that made it such a challenge.”
Klaudia Zwolinska (POL – bronze)
“I’m very happy. It’s a good start to the season. I’m still in the middle of a hard preparation phase for the World Championships, so I’m not completely fresh, but I’m still able to put down a really good run, which makes me pleased with the result. Of course, having a medal always gives you more confidence. But at the same time, I trust the process and I know the most important race is the World Championships, so that’s where my focus is. I’m really looking forward to it. I hope it will bring a lot of emotions, that’s what I love about this sport.”
Men’s Kayak
Jakub Krejci (CZE – gold)
“I feel amazing. It’s really special to win my first World Cup gold last weekend and then come back a week later and win another one. I’m really happy to be in this kind of form right now, and I’m pleased that I was able to put together a strong final run. I’m not sure if last weekend’s win made me feel more confident coming into this race. During the week there was so much going on around the World Cup in Prague because it’s always such a big event, so I felt a little tired at times. But I think the fact that I was still able to perform well is a good sign. I wasn’t really focused on the overall standings or looking too far ahead. My goal was simply to do the best I could here and make the most of the opportunity. I had a really good run in Augsburg, and I tried to stay alert because the weather conditions changed a lot throughout the competition. In the end, that approach worked really well, so I’m very happy.”
Giovanni De Gennaro (ITA – silver)
“I feel good. I’m happy with my run and with the improvement I’ve shown over the World Cup Series. I felt fast, but I just hadn’t managed to put down a solid run over the past two weeks, so I’m pleased to see where I am now and what I can do. It’s also great for Italy to have second and third today. I’m very happy to share the podium with Xabi, he’s been really consistent and fast all season. I hope this is just one of many podiums to come.”
Xabier Ferrazzi (ITA – bronze)
“I’m really happy. It’s another medal in the World Cup Series, so it feels very good. It was really close today, but I’m pleased with how I performed. It was always a good fight out there with the other athletes, and I’m already looking forward to the next race and to keep building on this. The course today was quite tricky, especially with the weather. It was pretty cold and not ideal conditions. Some of the moves were against the water, which made it quite challenging. I didn’t enjoy it that much, but I tried to do my best in the conditions.”
Full coverage of the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Augsburg can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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