Hometown favourite Tereza Kneblova delighted her Czech fans with gold in the women’s U23 C1 classic on the opening day of the 2023 ICF Junior and U23 Wildwater Canoeing World Championships at Roudnice nad Labem on Wednesday.

Kneblova finished more than 20 seconds ahead of Italy’s Cecilia Panato, with another Czech, Karolina Paloudova, taking the bronze.

Great Britain’s Kerry Christie also relegated Italy’s Panato to second in the women’s U23 K1 classic, with another British paddler, Lucy Guest, finishing third. Czech Jan Sindelar took the men’s U23 K1 crown, with Frenchman Augustin Reboul and another Czech, Filip Novak, filling the minor places.

In the men’s junior K1 it was Belgium’s Lean Bogaerts ahead of Czech Matyas Novak and German Philipp Bluhm.

In the men’s U23 C1 it was Czech Matous Beier who had all the answers, ahead of French sprint world champion Charles Ferrion and another Czech, Frantisek Salaj.

In the women’s K1 junior classic, Switzerland’s Mona Clavadetscher took the gold, ahead of France’s Eve Vitali-Guilbert and Italy’s Marta Cecconi.

Vitali-Guilbert went one better in the women’s C1, taking gold ahead of the Czech pairing of Anna Retkova and Valentyna Kocirova. The men’s junior C1 title went to Czech Ondrej Kvapil, who finished seven seconds clear of Croatia’s Janko Presecki and Italy’s Lorenzo Scapini Cesare.

In doubles events, Czech’s Salaj and Smakal won the men’s U23 C2, fellow Czech’s Mika and Cardoselli won the men’s junior C2, while Great Britain’s Christie and Christie won the women’s U23 C2.

The 2023 ICF Wildwater Canoeing World Championships continue on Thursday.