Václav Chaloupka was the first Czech canoeist to win the title of world champion in aquatic slalom since 1977. The reigning world champion under 23 triumphed in Bratislava thanks to a clean final race even among the seniors and continued on the title of Petr Sodomka.
Canoeist Gabriela Satková won the bronze medal in the first start of the senior championship final. Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Lukáš Rohan added seventh place.
The Czech canoeists succeeded in the finals, in which the competitors made many mistakes, as the only ones without criminal touching the goal. Unlike the semi-finals, last year’s European Championships bronze medalist Chaloupka drove flawlessly, beat home favorite Alexander Slafkovsky by 15 hundredths of a second and won the Czech canoeist’s first medal at the Championships 2006 bronze medalist Stanislav Ježek in Prague. German Franz Anton finished third.
When Chaloupek had a gold medal around his neck, he still couldn’t believe in triumph. “I admit I haven’t absorbed it yet and it will take a while, but it’s a wonderful feeling,” he told reporters.
19-year-old Gabriela Satková, who competed for the medal in Bratislava as the only member of the Czech national team, showed a flawless run, just like in the semi-final. The hesitation in the last goals deprived last year’s European champion of an even better position. “I was already a little tired and didn’t pay much attention to the raids. Then I had to turn a bang in one of the doors that I wanted to go straight on,” she described.
She was thrilled with third place and a bronze medal. “It’s the best feeling. I can’t believe it’s mine and I can have it on my neck. I really don’t even want to take it off because it’s an amazing experience for me and also a success, so I’m probably going to sleep with her today, ”Satková remarked.
Elena Apelová confirmed her excellent form in Bratislava. Despite a two-second penalty, the German rider won the title and even improved her performance on Saturday, when she won silver in the kayak. Briton Mallory Franklin finished second today, just like at the Tokyo Olympics.
In the semifinals of the championship in Bratislava, recent World Cup winner Tereza Fišerová and all-rounder Martina Satková, who combines slalom and downhill at the world championships, failed. Vojtěch Heger did not advance to the final for the men, who paid a penalty of fifty seconds on the twentieth goal.
World Aquatic Slalom Championships in Bratislava:
Men:
C1: 1. chalet (CZE) 92.02 (0 seconds penalty), 2. Slafkovský (SR) -0.15 (2), 3. Anton (DEU) -2.08 (2),… 7. Rohan -7.13 (0), in semi-final 25. Heger (both CR).
Women:
C1: 1. Apelová (Něm.) 99.03 (2), 2. Franklinová (British) -0.31 (0), 3. G. Satkova -3.47 (0), semi-final to semi-final 12. Mr. Satkova, 13. Fišerová (all CR).
17:29 extreme women’s slalom – final,
17:35 men’s extreme slalom – final.
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