Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods’ long wait for a first victory in the women’s kayak finally came to an end with a superb showing on a rain-hit opening day of the International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup in Tacen, Slovenia. 

Woods secured Olympic bronze in the K1 in Paris last year, but her success on the World Cup circuit had come in canoe and kayak cross. 

After eight years without a medal in K1 and no wins in that category, Woods finally emerged victorious at the Tacen Whitewater Centre. 

France’s Tituoan Castryck was also celebrating after maintaining his sensational form this season with another men’s K1 gold. 

The Olympic silver medallist has now won three out of the four World Cups in K1 to strengthen his grip on top spot in the overall standings. 

The Slovenian fans, who braved the heavy rain, also had reason to cheer as siblings Ziga Lin Hocevar and Eva Alina Hocevar claimed silver medals on home waters. 

Eva Alina Hocevar thrilled the spectators when she clocked 79.42 to move ahead of Evy Leibfarth of the United States who posted 82.45. 

But it was not enough to clinch the win as Woods overtook Hocevar at the top with a time of 78.69. 

Germany’s Ricarda Funk was the last to go after topping the heats but a two-second penalty cost her a medal as Hocevar took silver and Leibfarth earned bronze. 

“I heard Eva Alina’s time and thought I am going to really have to attack it,” said Woods. 

“It’s a nice short course where you can attack it.  

“I obviously won bronze in Paris last year.  

“I wanted to try to back it up at the back end of last year but I didn’t make any finals.  

“It’s been eight years since I have had a kayak medal at a World Cup so it’s a long time coming.  

“I have never won a kayak race before which is mad.  

“I have made quite a few finals but never been quite there.  

“To come and finally get my first senior win in kayak and do it out there with those girls in this weather I am really proud of myself.” 

There appears to be no stopping Castryck when he gets into his kayak at the moment. 

While his French rival Anatole Delassus in the race for the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Series crown failed to make the final, Castryck starred again. 

After wins in La Seu and Prague, Castryck came out on top again in Tacen with a time of 70.24 to continue his dominance. 

Ziga Lin Hocevar briefly moved into first place with 72.63 only to have to settle for silver after Castryck’s  brilliance. 

Poland’s Mateusz Polaczyk squeezed into the final after placing 12th but came out firing to secure bronze with 73.52. 

“It’s always quite stressful to come back after such a long period without racing, so I am happy that I’ve still got it,” said Castryck.  

“I don’t think it’s down to confidence.  

“I am not an overconfident person. I just try not to be overconfident or underconfident at the starting block. I just try to be present so there is no real secret.  

“I had good training this winter, I am feeling good and I am at a really good level right now.” 

Live coverage of the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Tacen is available to watch for signed-up members of the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.

The ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Tacen is supported by I Feel Slovenia.

Francoski kajakaš Titouan Castryck je zmagal na tekmi ICF svetovnega pokala v slalomu na divjih vodah v Ljubljani. Drugi je bil Žiga Lin Hočevar, preostala slovenska predstavnika na tekmi, Peter Kauzer in Martin Srabotnik, pa sta zasedla 4. oz. 12. mesto.

Castryck, srebrn na olimpijskih igrah v Parizu, je zmagal s časom 70,24 sekunde. Hočevar je zaostal za 2,39 sekunde, Poljaku Mateuszu Polaczyku pa je 3,28 sekunde zaostanka zadoščalo za bron.

Svojo finalno vožnjo je Hočevar ocenil za zelo dobro. “Vožnja je bila zelo lepa, predvsem zgornji del je bil fantastičen,” je dejal.

Za razliko od lanske tekmovalne sezone, ko je petkrat ali šestkrat prišel v finale, na koncu pa zasedel nehvaležno četrto mesto, je tokrat nekoliko spremenil taktiko. “Rekel sem si, da če pridem v finale, se lepo umirim in potem v zadnjem delu dodajam in tako sem danes poskusil,” je povedal četrtouvrščeni v opoldanskih kvalifikacijah.

Spomnil se je na lansko domače evropsko prvenstvo v slalomu na divjih vodah, ko je osvojil zlato medaljo v kanuju. „Evropsko prvenstvo je vseeno veliko več kot svetovni pokal, a ta medalja je predvsem potrditev, da sem tudi v kajaku lahko res dober,“ je bil Hočevar zadovoljen z današnjim drugim mestom.

Na tokratnem svetovnem pokalu bodo tekme v kanuju na sporedu v soboto, ko bosta poleg Hočevarja med slovenskimi tekmovalci še Luka Božič in Benjamin Savšek.

Britanska kajakašica Kimberley Woods je osvojila zlato medaljo na tekmi ICF svetovnega pokala v slalomu na divjih vodah v Ljubljani. Edina slovenska predstavnica v finalni vožnji Eva Alina Hočevar je bila druga.

V močnem dežju so vse tri prejemnice medalj s progo na Savi opravile brez napake. Kimberley Woods je do cilja potrebovala 78,69 sekunde, Eva Alina Hočevar 73 stotink sekunde več, tretjeuvrščena Evy Leibfarth iz ZDA pa je za zmagovalko zaostala 3,76 sekunde.

Eva Alina Hočevar je bila z drugim mestom zadovoljna: „Res sem šla dobro. Izjemno je, da v obeh disciplinah dosegam take rezultate. To mi daje potrditev, da sem letos ogromno napredovala in sem zagotovo v samem svetovnem vrhu.“

Dodatno spodbudo ji je dal domači teren. „Kljub groznemu vremenu sem slišala navijače. Vedela sem, da mi stojijo ob strani, da navijajo po najboljših močeh, in to mi je dalo dodatno energijo, da se izkažem pred domačim občinstvom in pokažem, da Tacen res poznam,“ je dejala.

Nov sistem, ko kvalifikacijam še isti dan sledi finale, se ji zdi zahteven. „Takoj se moraš popolno zbrati in narediti perfektno vožnjo, da se lahko že uvrstiš v finale, kjer pa želiš pokazati še več,“ je dejala in dodala, da čeprav dobro pozna tacensko progo, pa se zaveda, da lahko na njej tudi tujci dosežejo dober rezultat. Zato je bila zelo nervozna.

Med 12 finalistk sta se v opoldanskih kvalifikacijah poskušali prebiti še Ajda Novak in Lea Novak, a sta dosegli šele 18. oz. 41. mesto med 43 tekmovalkami. Eva Alina Hočevar je kvalifikacijsko vožnjo odpeljala s četrtim najhitrejšim časom in brez napake.