Brazil and Great Britain dominated Paracanoe podiums while Czechia’s Martin Fuksa added the canoe single world title a year after winning Olympic gold.
Here is what the medallists had to say:
Canoe Sprint (men)
C1 1000m
Martin Fuksa (Czechia): It was a very good race. This is my main event. I just focus on myself, go fast. A few metres before the finish, I looked and I knew. I am so happy to be a world champion again. Every race is different. For example, yesterday, I wasn't 100% on the course. I was a little bit sad, but I tried to do my best today, and I did, so I am happy. I'm looking forward to my vacation and some training again later.
Stefanos Dimopoulos (Greece): This is big history. I am very, very happy. I mean, this is a big day for me. The best day of my life in sport. I don't believe it. I don't believe it, never. Never in my life. I don't think about this, never. For me, it's not possible. I don't know what's happened. I'm dreaming. It's not real. For me, I will see this race every day.
Balazs Adolf (Hungary): It was a really hard race, and in the C1 1000, it is always hard to be on the top and make a statement, and there are obviously really good races and really hard athletes to race against. I am really happy to make it. This is just normal. There's a lot of stress, and there's high pressure, and then I have to bring out my maximum.
K1 1000m
Balint Kopasz (Hungary): I am very satisfied. In this race, there are several big opponents - world and Olympic champions. So, I am very happy that I won this race. It was fantastic for me. I was mentally and physically strong, and that is the most important thing for me. In the last 10 years, I was in the final A, every big championship. I trained hard and now I am going to relax a bit after Milano.
Thomas Green (Australia): It feels really good. I think for me, to get on the K1 podium, it's huge. It's been a long journey. I made the first K1 1000 spot in 2019. Due to the teamboats going really well, I've never been able to take it out there on my own and try and at least own a race. Obviously, I didn't quite own it, but I think it's really good for me with a lot of changes this year. I'm really stoked, proud of myself and the team around. I think my confidence has grown throughout the year. I've never felt so good, felt so confident in the environment and training. I've kind of owned my training a lot more than I have in the past and working with the coaches. That has allowed me to do that and helps me through that. So I think there's a lot of learning coming from the season that I'm looking forward to the next few.
Fernando Pimenta (Portugal): Of course, I want to win. I want to be a world champion in Milan, because in 2015, I took my first bronze medal at the World Championships. And after 10 years, to come back and take another bronze is very special because 10 years on the top level is not for everyone. After the European title, this bronze medal, I need to be happy and try to rest because tomorrow I have more finals.
Canoe Sprint (women)
K1 500m
Anna Pulawska (Poland): I feel really good. I feel stronger this year. This is the best year of my career so far. So, I am really happy. I have more motivation for next year. Yeah, and this year, the K1 was really important. It feels great to start the next Olympic cycle on a strong note.
Natalia Drobot (Australia): These are happy tears. I think just being able to put a good race together and be able to execute how you want and be able to come away with a great result, yeah, I couldn't be happier. I think just this is my first senior World Champiomships final in the K1, so yeah, just being able to enjoy it all and just yeah, happy tears.
Zsoka Csikos (Hungary): Thank you. It was a tough race. I tried to do my last 250 metres in the best way possible because my finish is better. I wanted to get a strong finish, because my start is not as great as the other girls. So I focused on this, and it worked well.
Paracanoe (women)
KL3
Laura Sugar (Great Britain): Incredible. It was a really tough race. I don't know how it was going to feel cause I've done two less 200m this year. Normally, I know exactly where I am. So, I was really nervous. It has been a really tough year. I just had a little word with myself at the start line and said just go for it. To be on the podium with Hope is pretty special. I did not think this would happen a couple of weeks ago. It's always really tough in the first year post Games to get that motivation back and then kind of do it all again. I have had stuff in the past, I've been injured or whatever, but I know as long as I can be on that start line, I'll be able to race and I knew I was in decent shape. I had a little bit of a niggle a few weeks ago. I could sit in a boat for a few weeks. But with land-based training, you can kind of get that. It's just that confidence isn't there.
Nelia Barbosa (France): I'm really happy. It has been a tough year because my coach changed. I only paddled in a slalom boat with my club. I am proud of myself because I proved that I can be a quick paddler even if I train both disciplines. I am going to keep continuing to do that.
Hope Gordon (Great Britain): Yeah, I was so, so, so close to the line. I had absolutely no idea who was up there. I knew it was close, but yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, my kayak got damaged. So I didn't have a very good heat. It was a struggle just to not get disqualified, just to stay in line, and it really knocked my confidence. But I just tried to stay positive this morning. I think this medal is for my community back home. We have had some terrible news in the past couple of weeks - the tragic loss of a friend with whom I grew up. It's a reminder to not take anything for granted, and yeah, this one's for them to inject a little bit of positivity to the community.
Felicia Laberer (Germany): I am very happy to share the medal with Hope. It is more special than winning the title alone. We are not just competitors but also friends. I saw her on the side and thought maybe I could fit in and get her. So I am super excited.
KL1
Katherinne Wollermann (Chile): It was a great race and I am very happy with the result. It was tough, but I got through. The podium here was superb as well. Very inclusive and thoughtful for Paracanoeists. I want to thank my friends and family back home. I am pleased
Maryna Mazhula (Ukraine): I don't have the power to finish good. I am not sure what happened, but my body was not able to do what I wanted. It is a silver medal, but gold is better. I train hard every day, and I don’t understand why I was not able to go all the way. That small part is missing.
Maosan Xie (China): I am very happy. The conditions here were fantastic. I know I can do much better, and the target is the Paralympic Games LA28. This is a great start, and I will break my own record.
KL2
Charlotte Henshaw (Great Britain): It was a tough race, even though it looks nice, it's quite tricky conditions. The water's moving, there's this slight wind swirling around, but you know, that's part of the beauty of our sport. You have to race what you turn up with on the day. I was just so pleased to get that one under my belt; the first year after the Games is always tricky. So I'm really pleased with it. I think there's a lot more to come. I'm trying to, you know, rewrite the history books, I suppose, and I want to see what's possible in this event. That's what I'm sticking my teeth into for the next three years, you know, how much can I push this event forward. I am just immensely proud to line up with the girls. It's a really lovely bunch of people who are so passionate about Paracanoe, and the same goes for the British team. We've had a tricky year . For us to come out and feel like we can compete with the rest of the world and deliver is a huge testament to the character that we have in our squad. I'm really proud of everyone.
Katalin Varga (Hungary): I came here with very good feelings. We've made some big changes since the Paralympic Games. The biggest change is the boat. We used my old boat, not what I used in the Paralympics, because it was very uncontrollable in high speed. But now I have a very good physical and mental shape. Everything is very good, but the last hundred meters of the course were wavy. It was a little harder, but it was good.
Anja Adler (Germany): It's always incredible to win a medal at the international level, but to win a medal at the World Championships is more special. It's just so amazing after the Paralympic Games, I decided in the winter season to calm down a little, and care for family, friends, and my work at home. In January, I started, and yeah, this is really, really amazing. A big thanks to my family, to my friends, the coaches, and especially to our best boat mechanics. I'm so happy.
Paracanoe (men)
KL1
Peter Kiss (Hungary): This is my fifth World Championships gold medal, and I am pleased. It was exhausting, and I had to push. I knew Luis was behind me. So, I needed to be prepared. He is a great person and athlete. Thanks to all my fans who have always supported me.
Luis Carlos Cardoso Da Silva (Brazil): I got the gold in Poland and silver here. I am pleased. I won gold 10 years ago in Milan, but it is great to be back in the city and win more medals for my country. Peter was a boat-distance in front of me a few years ago, and now I have worked hard to reduce that. I will try to get the gold medal next time.
Aleksandr Ilichev (AIN): I have come a long way for the World Championships. I have not competed in a while, so it is a great feeling to be on the podium. All the best athletes are here, and it motivates me to perform better.
VL2
Fernando Rufino De Paulo (Brazil): I am proud of the gold medal today. As Igor said, it is a pleasure to be able to race with such a big athlete. This is the World Championships. Such a big competition with so many gold medals, and I am happy to come away with the gold.
Igor Alex Tofalini (Brazil): I am very happy with the result. I am so happy with my coach and the entire Brazilian team. Rufino is a big athlete. An inspiration for me and all of us. I am proud to be able to train with him and race with him.
Edward Clifton (Great Britain): It has been such a good season. Silver in the European Championships, and so now here. My family is here. Everyone is down here watching. It feels pretty good.
VL3
Yi Pu (China): I am very excited. I just made history. This is the first medal in the VL3. It is a huge step in my career. I made great progress in such a short time. With my coach’s guidance and hard training, I hope I can keep progressing.
Giovane Vieira de Paula (Brazil): I am very happy because I want to keep adding to Brazil’s tally. I have been working on my start with my coach, and that has helped me finish like this. It is really hard because of the wind, but I am happy with the medal.
