The 2023 International Canoe Federation Junior and U23 canoe slalom world championships kick off this week in Krakow, Poland, with a long list of former champions returning to defend their crowns, and more than a handful of athletes with an eye on the Paris Olympic Games.
The French team will be in Poland in force, an exciting group of young athletes who are dreaming of competing in front of home fans next year on the biggest sporting stage in the world. They nearly all have already proven themselves against top class opposition, and will be out to make a statement again this week.
The men’s U23 K1 is once again set to be one of the hardest fought battles of the week. Frenchman Anatole Delassus will be out to defend his crown, but will face stiff opposition from countryman Titouan Castryck, the winner of the past two junior world titles who is racing in the U23’s for the first time this week.
Also staking a strong claim, 2021 world champion Jakub Krejci from the Czech Republic, and 2022 bronze medalists and 2021 silver medalist, Jonny Dickson from Great Britain.
The women’s U23 K1 also boasts a top-shelf line-up, including 2021 champion Coline Charel of France, last year’s silver medalist, Emma Vuitton, also of France, and several former junior world champions.
The Czech Republic’s Antonie Galuskova has won two junior titles, while American Evy Leibfarth and Slovenia’s Eva Alina Hocevar are both also former junior champions. Poland’s Dominika Brzeska won junior silver last year.
Another Frenchman will be defending his title in the men’s U23 C1. Mewen Debliquy was an impressive winner last year, but this year will need to fend off last year’s junior title holder, Mark Crosbee of Australia, as well as last year’s U23 bronze medalist, Vojtech Heger of the Czech Republic. Another Frenchman, Jules Bernadet, won U23 silver in 2021, while Slovenia’s Nejc Polencic is a former junior world champion.
In the women U23 C1, Italy’s Elena Borghi gets the chance to defend her crown, but will face stiff opposition from teammate and Tokyo Olympian, Marta Bertoncelli, who is a former junior silver and two-time bronze medalist, and last year’s bronze medalist, and 2021 silver medalist, Emanuela Luknarova from Slovakia.
Last year’s U23 silver medalist, Gabriela Satkova from the Czech Republic, is also a two-time former junior champion, while teammate Tereza Kneblova is a two-time junior silver medalist. France’s Angele Hug has already finished on the podium at senior world cups this year.
In junior competition the fields are wide open, with Czech Klara Kneblova in the women’s C1 the only previous world champion stepping out this week.
Kneblova took gold in 2021.
In women’s K1, Germany’s Paulina Pirro will be looking to turn her bronze medal from last year into gold, while Czech Lukas Kratochvil will also be looking to turn bronze into gold in the men’s Jnr C1.
The men’s K1 junior is set for three new podium athletes, with one of the widest fields in recent racing.
In kayak cross, Great Britain’s Nikita Setchell will be aiming for a third consecutive women’s U23 title, after taking the gold in 2021 and 2022.
Frenchman Gael Addison is back to defend his U23 title from last year. Among the challengers will be Switzerland’s Jan Rohrer, a bronze medalist from last year and a silver from 2021.
Another Swiss athlete, Jessica Duc will be trying to regain the junior title she won in 2021, while Germany’s Charlotte Wild returns after taking bronze last year. Ukraine’s Serhii Sovko finished third in last year’s junior men’s competition.
The 2023 ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships begins on Tuesday and will run through until Sunday.
