Alexander Slafkovsky (SVK, C1M), Jessica Fox (AUS, C1W) and Benjamin Renia (FRA, K1M) each qualified in top spot and comfortably moved to the semifinal stage as the opening action got underway at the 2016 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Ivrea, Italy.
Anna Satila (BRA, K1W) and the duo of Pierre-Antoine Tillard and Edern Le Ruyet (FRA, C2M) also went through as event leaders in their respective competitions too.
In the C1M Slafkovsky looked impressive stopping-the-clock in 91.82 with no touches. The 33-year-old Slovakian, who is world ranked 6, bettered both teammate Marko Mirgordsky (SVK) and the Czech Republic’s Michal Jane’s times to secure top spot and the coveted last run position for the weekend's semifinals.
Multiple-Olympic medallist, Michal Martikan (SVK) also cruised through to the latter stages with ease. The super talented paddler will look to start the season well and put the disappointment of missing selection for his sixth successive Games behind him.
The bronze medallist from the 2015 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, Ryan Wesley (GBR) also put in an accomplished performance with a time that provided the 22-year-old a safe passage through to the latter stages.
In the C1W the favourites showed their class and completed the 23-gates course without too many issues.
The top three of Fox, Nuria Vilarrubla (ESP) and Mallory Franklin (GBR) each incurred two-second penalties on their way down, but showed they had unrivalled straight line speed as they distanced the closest of the rest by over four-seconds.
Fox later needed a second attempt to ensure continuation in the K1W after missing the first gate. Ever the professional she went on to produce the fastest run of the seocnd heat.
Elizabeth Neave (GBR), also a regular contender, was forced to go the same route as Fox.
Neave qualifed and will set off early in the semifinal hoping for a considerably better performance.
Naomi Fox also followed her older sister into the K1W semifinal. The 19-year-old took the last spot on offer squeezing through in 20th place.
26-year-old Renia just edged out the double world cup series champion, Sebastian Schubert (GER) by a slim margin of zero-point-three-of-a-second to go through in pole position in the K1M.
Slovakia’s Martin Halcin picked up third; meanwhile the talented trio from the Czech Republic of Vavrinec Hradilek, Andrej Tunka and Vit Prindis also each secured top ten places to go through at the first time of asking.
Spanish duo of Joan Crespo and Samuel Hernanz were another two that progressed at the first opportunity and will undoubtably have enjoyed the course in Ivrea that shows some striking similarities to their home course in north Spain.
For more information contact:
ICF Media & Public Relations Manager
richard.pettit@canoeicf.com
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
