FRANCISSWIM - WATER SPORTS: Canoe Slalom - Czech team very strong at home course

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Canoe Slalom - Czech team very strong at home course

The 2020 ECA Canoe Slalom European Championships in Prague kicked off with heats in all categories and with special safety requirements to protect all involved in the championships. Championships is also closed for general public. On the first competition day Czech team showed they will be very hard to beat on their course. Tereza Fišerova, Vit Prindiš and Lukaš Rohan all won in their respective categories, the only non-Czech heats winner of the day was Austrian Corinna Kuhnle who was the fastest in women’s kayak event.

Czech kayakers have four representatives on the startline thanks to ECA’s special rules which allow the start of European Champions in the last edition to defend their titles regardless of the outcome of their national selection races. This means Czech team has four candidates for medals both in men’s and women’s kayak event thanks to Vit Prindiš and Amelie Hilgertova who won gold medals last year in Pau.

Prindiš produced another great run on the Vltava River, finishing first in men’s kayak heats. The race was very tight; Martin Dougoud from Switzerland was only 0.09 second behind and Jiri Prskavec (CZE) was third, 0.16 second behind his teammate.

After the race the defending champion Prindiš said, “I am really happy I won today’s qualification, but that was not my goal. My goal was to be in the first 20 after the first run and to have a free afternoon. This gives me extra time tomorrow to see more course, more athletes how they will handle the course. And of course it gives me confidence. I did not have good selection races earlier in the summer, but I am growing in growing in confidence and I am feeling better on the water. This is perfect start to this Europeans.”

Tereza Fišerova (CZE) was the best in women’s canoe heats. She was more than six and a half seconds faster than Austrian Nadine Weratschnig in second place, while Tereza Kneblova (CZE) was third.

Lukaš Rohan (CZE) continued the tradition of excellent performances at home course. He was almost two seconds faster than second placed Liam Jegou from Ireland, while Luka Božič from Slovenia finished the heats in third place.

In women’s kayak qualifications former European and World Champion Corinna Kuhnle from Austria produced the best time. Viktoriia Us from Ukraine finished second and Katerina Kudejova from Czech Republic was third.

On Saturday we will follow semi-final and final runs in women’s canoe and men’s kayak and team events in previously mentioned categories.

RESULTS – HEATS

Women's canoe

1. Tereza Fišerova CZE 116.49

2. Nadine Weratschnig AUT +6.67

3. Tereza Kneblova CZE +7.42

Men's kayak

1. Vit Prindiš CZE 91.30

2. Martin Dougoud SUI +0.09

3. Jiri Prskavec CZE +0.16

Women's kayak

1. Corinna Kuhnle AUT 103.60

2. Viktoriia Us UKR +6.14

3. Katerina Kudejova CZE +6.97

Men's canoe

1. Lukaš Rohan CZE 99.90

2. Liam Jegou IRL +1.74

3. Luka Božič SLO +3.22

Liveresults: https://siwidata.com/canoelive/#/live/eca/1374

Livestream (Friday): https://www.youtube.com/canoeeurope

LIVESTREAM SATURDAY/SUNDAY: https://www.facebook.com/ECAlivevideo

Livestreaming will be available on special Facebook page but certain territories will be geoblocked due to TV rights restrictions.

For Saturday's and Sunday's races please check the programme of Czech TV (Česka Televize), RTV Slovenia, ORF Austria, RAI Italy, L'Equipe France, Match TV Russia .