Visok vodostaj Save je jo pošteno zagodel organizatorjem 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia evropskega prvenstva v slalomu na divjih vodah v Ljubljani – Tacnu. Program prvenstva je bil popolnoma spremenjen in strnjen, vse skupaj pa je imelo vpliv tudi na postavitev proge.
The high water level of Sava River forced the organisers to completely revise the competition programme of the 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia Canoe Slalom European Championships. But not only this, even the course designers had to take the new circumstances into the consideration.
After a free day at the 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia Canoe Slalom European Championships when the water level of Sava River did not allow to hold a competition, the championships continued with kayak events, both individual and team. Klaudia Zwolinska (POL) and Giovanni De Gennaro (ITA) won European Champion titles in individual events, while the host nation Slovenia celebrated gold medal in women’s team event and Czechia in men’s kayak team event.
Due to changes to the competition programme after the water level of Sava River rose too high, the race format was changed and athletes competed only in heats run and a final run. This year, there are 12 boats that qualify to the final in each event.
Polish kayaker Klaudia Zwolinska produced the best final run of the women’s event at the 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia Canoe Slalom European Championships in Ljubljana – Tacen. She had almost five seconds better time than young Slovak kayaker Zuzana Pankova in second place, while Mallory Franklin from Great Britain won bronze medal.
This is the first gold medal for Zwolinska at senior level Championships. “I am really happy, I am shocked a little bit that I had a really good run. Always I had little mistakes, that is why I had silver medal last year, but I knew I can fight for the gold. I am happy that I have this gold. I like gold colour, I have it now, and I am really happy,” said Zwolinska.
In men’s kayak event Giovanni De Gennaro from Italy as well won his first senior European Championships gold medal. 31-year-old Italian won silver medals at European Championships in 2021 and 2022. This time he finished the race 2.96 seconds ahead of Mario Leitner from Austria and 3.87 seconds ahead of Gelindo Chiarello from Switzerland.
After the race De Gennaro could not hide the emotions, “It feels great. I have been waiting so long to get finally a championships. Here, with my family and friends it is something special. I am so glad I put down a solid run and finished at the top.”
In the afternoon, athletes competed in team events. Host nation – Slovenia – celebrated gold medal in women’s kayak team event with a big advantage. Eva Tercelj, Eva Alina Hocevar and Ajda Novak crossed the finish line 7.27 seconds ahead of France with Camille Prigent, Emma Vuitton and Coline Charel. Czechia with Antonie Galuskova, Katerina Bekova and Tereza Fiserova was third.
In men’s kayak team event, Czechia won gold medal. Jiri Prskavec, Vit Prindis, Jakub Krejci had more than four seconds advantage over Austria with Felix Oschmautz, Mario Leitner and Moritz Kremslehner, while French kayakers Titouan Castryck, Anatole Delassus and Vincent Delahaye won bronze medal.
On Sunday, the 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia Canoe Slalom European Championships brings individual and team canoe events.
Livestreaming of heats will be available at Canoe Europe Youtube Channel, while individual finals and team events will be livestreamed on http://www.eurovisionsport.com platform.
Slovenske kajakašice Eva Terčelj, Ajda Novak in Eva Alina Hočevar so na 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia evropskem prvenstvu v slalomu na divjih vodah v Tacnu osvojile zlato medaljo. S tem so ponovile uspeh iz leta 2017, ko so se v nekoliko spremenjeni sestavi veselile prve slovenske ženske ekipne medalje na evropskem prvenstvu.
Slovenke so z dvema kazenskima sekundama za 7,27 sekunde prehitele Francozinje. Tretje so bile Čehinje (+9,22 sekunde).
V cilju niso skrivale navdušenja. „To je res najlepši zaključek dneva, ves dan smo se borili, želeli smo si dobrih voženj in zaključiti z nazivom evropskih prvakinj je res enkratno,“ je povedala Eva Terčelj, ki je nekaj ur pred tem zasedla osmo mesto med kajakašicami.
Ajda Novak, ki je zlato medaljo na evropskem prvenstvu leta 2017 osvojila skupaj z Evo Terčelj in Uršo Kragelj, je povedala, da je bila voda „težka“. „Kot smo že videli v finalu, je veliko dobrih tekmovalk in tekmovalcev delalo napake,“ je dejala in dodala, da so poskušale reševati svoje napake in vztrajati. „Na koncu se je vse izšlo,“ je bila zadovoljna.
Današnji dosežek ji je obudil lepe spomine na evropsko prvenstvo leta 2017 prav tako v Tacnu: „Presrečna sem, da nam je uspelo to ponoviti. To ni samoumevno, ekipe so res dobre.“
Slovenke so šle danes na progo kot prva izmed osmih ekip in kot je povedala Eva Alina Hočevar, so pri vsaki naslednji ekipi opažale, da njihov čas sploh ni bil slab, nato pa se jim je začela počasi nasmihati medalja. „Vmes nas je bilo malo strah, da ne bomo spet četrte, kajti večkrat smo že bile na tem nehvaležnem mestu, toda nato je reprezentanca za reprezentanco prišla v cilj, naredile so veliko napak in me smo ostale na prvem mestu,“ je podoživela zmago.
V moški konkurenci so zmagali Čehi pred Avstrijci (+4,35 sekunde) in Francozi (+4,69 sekunde).
Slovenci v postavi Peter Kauzer, Lan Tominc in Žiga Lin Hočevar so med 17 uvrščenimi ekipami s 68,55 sekunde zaostanka za zmagovalci zasedli sedmo mesto.
Žiga Lin Hočevar se je veselil predvsem zlate medalje svoje sestre Eve Aline. „Zelo jim privoščim, res so trdo garale v letošnji zimi, da so postale evropske prvakinje,“ Spomnil je, da je bil tudi sam evropski prvak kot član slovenske mladinske reprezentance, pa tudi U23, in seveda si želi nekoč osvojiti ta naziv tudi v članski konkurenci. A najprej se mora čim bolje pripraviti na nedeljo, zadnji dan evropskega prvenstva z nastopom kanuistov.
Visok vodostaj Save je jo pošteno zagodel organizatorjem 2024 ECA I Feel Slovenia evropskega prvenstva v slalomu na divjih vodah v Ljubljani – Tacnu. Program prvenstva je bil popolnoma spremenjen in strnjen, vse skupaj pa je imelo vpliv tudi na postavitev proge. 
2025 ICF svetovni pokal v slalomu na divjih vodah | 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 