Historic Kayak Cross individual European Champion titles for Alena Marx and Vit Prindis

 

The organisers of the 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia Canoe Slalom European Championships in Ljubljana - Tacen had to take a difficult decision to revise the competition programme of the championships. The hydrological forecast predicts high water level of the Sava River in the next days, so Wednesday already brought the first competition day - Kayak Cross individual race, initially scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Alena Marx (SUI) and Vit Prindis (CZE) took the historic European Champion titles in the opening event.

The first time in history of the Canoe Slalom European Championships the competitors fought for the European Champion title in the kayak cross individual event. The protagonists of the day were Swiss kayaker Alena Marx and Czech paddler Vit Prindis who took the wins in their respective events.

The 23-year-old Alena Marx could not believe she just won a senior European Champion title on the opening day of the 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia Canoe Slalom European Championships in Ljubljana - Tacen. "I did not expect it. I just hoped to make a good run. I never thought it can be so good. I am really happy," said Marx and added, "I hoped to do the upstreams well. I trained this a lot. Sometimes they work, sometimes they do not. Today they worked perfectly."

Marx finished the race 0.22 seconds ahead of Klaudia Zwolinska (POL), while Camille Prigent (FRA) won bronze medal.

In men's kayak cross individual event, experienced Czech kayaker Vit Prindis took the win ahead of Jonny Dickson (GBR) and Martin Dougoud (SUI). Dickson was 0.95 seconds behind and Dougoud 1.66 seconds.

Prindis, who was already the 2021 Kayak Cross European Champion, was very happy with the outcome of the first competition day: "It is quite funny. We were speaking about it. I won the first Europeans in Ivrea, and in Czech Republic we also have the first World Champion, and we were talking it would be nice to keep it in Czech Republic. It happened. I am really happy with my performance and my run. I was trying to have smooth lines and paddle as hard as I can. It worked well on this tricky water."