Leto je naokoli in tacenske brzice znova gostijo elito svetovnega slaloma na divjih vodah na tekmi ICF svetovnega pokala, ki bo potekala med 15. in 18. junijem v Kajakaškem centru Tacen.

Ljubljana je tretja postojanka v letošnji seriji, tekmovalke in tekmovalci so že nastopili v Augsburgu, ta konec tedna pa bodo tekmovali v Pragi. V Sloveniji bodo nastopili predstavniki 32 držav iz Evrope, Severne in Južne Amerike, Oceanije, Azije in Afrike.

Tekma služi kot generalka pred evropskimi igrami, ki jih bo ob koncu meseca gostil Krakov in bodo tudi evropske olimpijske kvalifikacije za Pariz 2024.

Slovenske tekmovalke in tekmovalci na domači progi tradicionalno dosegajo vrhunske uspehe in beležijo mesta povsem pri vrhu. Od leta 1989, ko je Ljubljana prvič gostila tekmo za svetovni pokal, so naši predstavniki osvojili 37 kolajn, od tega 14 zlatih, 15 srebrnih in osem bronastih.

V lanski sezoni, ko je svetovni pokal v Ljubljani prav tako potekal junija, sta do srebrnih kolajn priveslala kajakaš Martin Srabotnik in kanuist Luka Božič, olimpijski prvak Benjamin Savšek pa je prejel bronasto kolajno.

Letošnja ekipa na Savi je nekoliko pomlajena, predvsem med kajakaši. Petru Kauzerju, našemu najuspešnejšemu slalomistu na svetovnih pokalih na Savi s šestimi osvojenimi kolajnami, bosta družbo namreč delala mlada Lan Tominc in Žiga Lin Hočevar, ki sta se v mladinski konkurenci že dokazala. 15-letni Žiga Lin Hočevar je lani osvojil dve posamični srebrni kolajni na mladinskem evropskem prvenstvu tako v kajaku kot kanuju, Celjan Lan Tominc, ki je sicer tudi član reprezentance mlajših članov do 23 let, pa je mladinski olimpijski prvak iz Buenos Airesa. V konkurenci kanuistov bo ob Benjaminu Savšku in Luki Božiču, ki krojita svetovni vrh, veslal še mladi Primorec Nejc Polenčič.

Na drugi strani je ženski del ekipe nespremenjen, saj bodo v kajaku tekmovale Eva Terčelj, Eva Alina Hočevar in Ajda Novak, v kanuju pa Eva Alina Hočevar, Alja Kozorog in Lea Novak.

V kajakaškem krosu, ki bo prihodnje leto v Parizu prvič tudi del olimpijskega programa, bodo tekmovali Tine Kancler, Vid Kuder Marušič, Peter Kauzer, Žiga Lin Hočevar, Eva Terčelj, Ajda Novak, Eva Alina Hočevar in Naja Pinterič.

Slovenci bodo napadali najvišja mesta, a naloga bo vse prej kot enostavna. V Ljubljano namreč prihajajo najboljša kajakašica in kanuistka vseh časov Jessica Fox iz Avstralije, olimpijska prvakinja Ricarda Funk, olimpijska prvaka med kajakaši Jiri Prskavec in Joseph Clarke, legendarni Slovak Michal Martikan, ki ima v zbirki dve zlati, dve srebrni in bronasto olimpijsko kolajno, dobitniki srebrnih in bronastih olimpijskih kolajn Matej Benuš, Hannes Aigner, Luuka Jones, pa aktualni in nekdanji svetovni prvaki Vit Prindiš, Elena Lilik, Andrea Herzog, Corinna Kuhnle in številni drugi.

Tekmovanje se bo pričelo v četrtek, 15. junija, s kvalifikacijami kanuistk in kanuistov. V petek dopoldne kvalifikacije čakajo kajakašice in kajakaše, prve kolajne pa bodo podelili popoldne, ko kanuistke in kanuiste najprej čakajo polfinalne vožnje, nato pa še finalne. V soboto sledita polfinale in finale kajakašic in kajakašev, v nedeljo pa še preizkušnje v kajakaškem krosu.

Za imetnike vstopnic, ki jih lahko kupite na Eventimu in Petrolu, je prevoz do prizorišča z LPP brezplačen, na dan tekmovanj pa bo vstopnice mogoče kupiti tudi pri vhodu na prizorišče. V četrtek je vstop prost.

Že pred začetkom svetovnega pokala, v torek, 13. junija 2023, pa se bodo slalomisti predstavili v centru Ljubljane, na promocijskem paralelnem slalomu pri Čevljarskem mostu, ki se bo začel ob 18.45.

PROGRAM TEKMOVANJA

Četrtek, 15. junij 2023	14:00 Kvalifikacije – ženski in moški kanu – 1. vožnja 16:00 Kvalifikacije – ženski in moški kanu – 2. vožnja
Petek, 16. junij 2023	08:15 Kvalifikacije – ženski in moški kajak – 1. vožnja 10:35 Kvalifikacije – ženski in moški kajak – 2. vožnja 13:45 Polfinale ženski in moški kanu 16:45 Finale ženski in moški kanu 18:05 Podelitev kolajn
Sobota, 17. junij 2023	09:30 Polfinale ženski in moški kajak 11:30 Finale ženski in moški kajak 12:50 Podelitev kolajn
Nedelja, 18. junij 2023	09:00 Kajakaški kros – kvalifikacijske vožnje na čas 11:15 Kajakaški kros – kvalifikacije 12:15 Kajakaški kros – četrtfinale, polfinale, finale 13:35 Podelitev kolajn Glasba: RecycleMan

*Program je okviren, zato si organizator pridržuje pravico do sprememb.

The rapids of the Sava River are once again hosting the Canoe Slalom elite at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup race, which will take place between 15^th and 18^th June 2023 in the Kayak Centre Tacen.

Ljubljana is the third stop in this year’s series, the competitors have already competed in Augsburg, and this weekend they will compete in Prague. Representatives of 32 countries from Europe, North and South America, Oceania, Asia and Africa will paddle in Slovenia.

The World Cup serves as a warm-up before the European Games, which will be held in Krakow at the end of June and will also be European Olympic qualifiers for Paris 2024.

Slovenian competitors traditionally achieve top successes and record places right at the top on their home course in Tacen. Since 1989, when Ljubljana hosted the World Cup for the first time, our representatives have won 37 medals, including 14 gold, 15 silver and eight bronze.

Last season, when the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Ljubljana was also held in June, kayaker Martin Srabotnik and canoeist Luka Božič won silver medals, while Olympic champion Benjamin Savšek received a bronze medal in men’s canoe.

This year’s team on the Sava is somewhat rejuvenated, especially in men’s kayak. Peter Kauzer, our most successful paddler at the World Cups on the Sava River with six medals in his pocket, will be accompanied by the youngsters Lan Tominc and Žiga Lin Hočevar, who have already proven themselves in the junior age group. Last year, 15-year-old Žiga Lin Hočevar won two individual silver medals at the Junior European Championships (in kayak and canoe), and Lan Tominc from Celje is the Youth Olympic champion from Buenos Aires (2018). In men’s canoe Benjamin Savšek and Luka Božič, are first and second respectively in the World Ranking, and will be accompanied by young Nejc Polenčič.

On the other hand, the women’s part of the team is unchanged compared to last season, as Eva Terčelj, Eva Alina Hočevar and Ajda Novak will compete in kayak event, and Eva Alina Hočevar, Alja Kozorog and Lea Novak will seek top results in canoe event.

Tine Kancler, Vid Kuder Marušič, Peter Kauzer, Žiga Lin Hočevar, Eva Terčelj, Ajda Novak, Eva Alina Hočevar and Naja Pinterič will compete in the newest of wildwater disciplines – Kayak Cross, which will be part of the Olympic programme for the first time in Paris next year.

The Slovenians will attack the highest places, but the task will not be an easy one. The best kayaker and canoeist of all times, Jessica Fox from Australia, Olympic champion Ricarda Funk, Olympic champions in men’s kayak Jiri Prskavec and Joseph Clarke, legendary Slovak Michal Martikan, who has two gold, two silver and bronze Olympic medals in his collection, are all coming to Ljubljana, as well as silver and bronze Olympic medallists Matej Benuš, Hannes Aigner and Luuka Jones, with current and former World Champions Vit Prindiš, Elena Lilik, Andrea Herzog, Corinna Kuhnle and many others also on the start line.

The competition will begin on Thursday, June 15, with the heats in women’s and men’s canoe. On Friday, women’s and men’s kayak heats are scheduled in the morning, and the first medals will be awarded in the afternoon, when canoeists will first race in the semi-final, and then in the finals. On Saturday, the semi-finals and finals in kayak will follow, and on Sunday the ICF World Cup will conclude with Kayak Cross event.

For ticket holders, which can be purchased at Eventim and Petrol, transportation to the venue by Ljubljana City Transport is free of charge, and on the day of the competitions, tickets can also be purchased at the entrance to the venue. Entry is free on Thursday.

Before the 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup kicks off on Sava River, the best canoe slalom paddlers will show their skill in the Ljubljana City Centre (next to the Cobbler’s Bridge). The Parallel Canoe Slalom on Ljubljanica River will be organised on Tuesday, June 13, starting at 18.45.

COMPETITION PROGRAMME

Thursday, June 15, 2023

14:00 Heats – women’s and men’s canoe – 1st run

16:00 Heats – women’s and men’s canoe – 2nd run

Friday, June 16, 2023

08:15 Heats – women’s and men’s kayak – 1st run

10:35 Heats – women’s and men’s kayak – 2nd run

13:45 Semi-final women’s and men’s canoe

16:45 Final women’s and men’s canoe

18:05 Medals ceremony

Saturday, June 17, 2023

09:30 Semi-final women’s and men’s kayak

11:30 Final women’s and men’s kayak

12:50 Medals ceremony

Sunday, June 18, 2023

09:00 Kayak Cross – time trials

11:15 Kayak Cross – heats

12:15 Kayak Cross – quarter-final, semi-final, final

13:35 Medals ceremony

Music: RecycleMan

*The programme is provisional, so the organizer reserves the right to make changes.

Discover Slovenia. A destination for active holidays, all year round.
Climb to the top of a mountain or a hill. On foot or by bicycle. Have fun with your kids in family-friendly ski resorts. Feel the adrenaline. Breathe in the freshness of nature amid green forests, on horseback, by the water or on golf courses. Enter the world of active experiences. Experience Slovenia your way.

Get inspired for your next active adventure

https://www.slovenia.info/en/things-to-do/active-holidays

Photo: Andrej Tarfila