2010 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships | Ljubljana, Slovenia
Divja voda, čisti užitek
Wild water, pure joy
2010 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships | Ljubljana, Slovenia Divja voda, čisti užitek |
Wild water, pure joy
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| Slovenians hope for new medals |
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 Slovenian kayakers and canoeists will compete on European Championships for juniors and under 23 early in August. Part of the team will travel to Germany already on Wednesday, while others will go to Markkleeberg on Friday. Goals of Slovenian competitors are high.Slovenian team will be one of the biggest on the venue with thirty competitors and supporting staff present. Expectations are high as usual, especially among canoeists who will defend gold medal from Liptovsky Mikulaš. Jure Lenarčič, Anže Berčič and Benjamin Savšek are in a great mood before the competition, therefore they are convinced they can repeat last year’s success. Benjamin Savšek is considered the biggest Slovenian favourite in individual canoe event. He had great results in this year’s World Cup races, also finishing second in Prague. This will be first competition for Savšek in a town near Leipzig, so his main goal on the trainings will be getting used to the rapids in Germany. “We will go to Germany one week before the championships with intention to adapt to new surroundings and new course. Of course those who already know the course in Markkleeberg will have advantage, but I think I can adapt to the water in one week. I expect to fight for the best places in the final,” Savšek said and added the medal would be a great satisfaction for him. At the same time he warns: “Several other favourites, who already compete in senior championships, will be in Germany, so everybody will have to paddle as good as in World Cup races.” Kayak team was excellent too last year in Slovakia, where Martin Albreht, Simon Artelj and Gregor Brovinsky were third. Same three kayakers will compete also this year, so their goals are high as well. In women’s under 23 event team expects the most from experienced Urša Kragelj, who already competed on a course in Markkleeberg and knows it well, so she does not worry about that aspect of the race. She concentrates on good runs rather than other things. Nina Slapšak and Anja Kancler will compete in women’s U23 event too. The best Slovenian canoe double Sašo Taljat – Luka Božič has big expectations before the championships. They were second in last two championships. “After two years we would like to stop this tradition of second places, so we at least hope for third place if not first one,” Sašo Taljat joked about their goals. Medalists from last year’s senior world championships will travel to Germany in the first group, because they have never paddled on this course, so extra trainings will do them only good. Brothers Jure and Anže Janežič will also compete in men’s canoe double race.  Simon Brus, second from this year’s junior World Championships in France, is eager to compete on the next championships this year. After winning silver medal in Foix, he is considered one of the favourites in men’s junior kayak event, but this fact does not worry 16-year old paddler: “I feel the same before Europeans, as I felt before World Championships. I had same preparations, so I aim for the highest positions this time too.” Nejc Rusjan and Matej Poljanec will accompany Brus in kayak event. Eva Terčelj, also medalist from junior World Championships in France, hopes for another great result. She had already shown in Foix that she is extremely fast, but this time she wants to produce runs without penalty seconds. Ajda Novak and Nina Bizjak will also compete in women’s event. In men’s C1 event Saša Kovačič, Luka Žganjar and Peter Žnidaršič will start, the latter two will start also in junior C2 event. On Thursday all competitors will compete in heats, on Friday team events are scheduled and on Saturday all the semifinals and finals will take place. You can find more information about the competition here. Nina Jelenc |
You can take a look at videos of 2010 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships here.
World Champion Peter Kauzer invites you to Tacen.
Here you can take a look at interesting video of flooded Tacen kayak course.
Video of Opening Ceremony in Ljubljana is in our videogallery.
Please let us know arrival details as we can arrange transport from airport to Tacen.
Contact person for transport is Metka Čuk
email: metka.cuk@kajak-zveza.si
