Canoe Slalom 2020 Tokyo Olympic Review

Men’s C-1

Matej Benus (Slovakia) took a big lead with two great runs. His best time was almost two seconds ahead of Benjamin Savsek (Slovenia). Adam Burgess (Great Britain) was the only man other than Benus to go under 100 seconds twice, whilst Sideris Tasiadis (Germany) qualified with the sixth fastest time. In the semi-final, it was the two canoeists with clean runs who led the field. with Martin Thomas (France) ahead of Daniel Watkins (Australia). Benus could only qualify in ninth, with Burgess eighth and Savsek fifth. Matija Marinic (Croatia) was the fastest qualifier to miss out on the final. Benus started second in the final but could only manage a 105.60 and he was immediately overtaken by Burgess with a 103.86. It did not take long for Tasiadis to pass him with a 101.96. Savsek finally cracked 100 with a 98.25, before Lukas Rohan (Czech Republic) went into silver with a 101.96 despite a penalty. Neither Thomas nor Watkins could make a dent in the medal placings with Burgess an unlucky fourth.

🥇Benjamin Savsek 🇸🇮

🥈Lukas Rohan 🇨🇿

🥉Sideris Tasiadis 🇩🇪

Men’s K-1

Hannes Aigner (Germany) set the fastest qualification time with a 90.14. Only one other man went under 91 seconds, and he did it twice in Giovanni De Gennaro (Italy). Jiri Prskavec (Czech Republic) was the fastest man down the course, but a two-second penalty meant he only qualified in fourth. In the semi final, Michal Smolen (United States) laid down an early marker in the final which remained unbeaten until the run of Boris Neveu (France). Even more impressive was Prskavec, who led despite a penalty. Felix Oschmautz (Austria) set the early pace in the final with a 98.79. Aigner went into first with a 97.11 before Jakub Grigar (Slovakia) took a massive lead with a 94.85. Prskavec nailed a massive time, taking three seconds off the leading time.

🥇Jiri Prskavec 🇨🇿

🥈Jakub Grigar 🇸🇰

🥉Hannes Aigner 🇩🇪

Women’s C-1

Mallory Franklin (Great Britain) was the quickest in both qualification runs. Behind her was Andrea Herzog (Germany). Jessica Fox (Australia) showed her speed but on both runs picked up four penalty seconds. No one would sip under 110 in the semi-final. It was Fox leading ahead of Tereza Fiserova (Czech Republic). In the final, Viktoriia Us (Ukraine) set the early pace with a 124.85. Nadine Weratschnig (Austria) went ahead with a 119.41. Franklin took a massive lead with a 108.68, the fastest time down the course so far despite a penalty. Herzog also scored a two-second penalty, and was 2.45 seconds slower than the time set by Franklin. An incredible final run by Jessica Fox saw her take victory by over three seconds.

🥇Jessica Fox 🇦🇺

🥈Mallory Franklin 🇬🇧

🥉Andrea Herzog 🇩🇪

Women’s K-1

Jessica Fox (Australia) was the only kayaker to dip under 100 seconds in qualification. Ricarda Funk (Germany) led after the opening run and showed her consistency by doing an almost identical time in the second run. Luuka Jones (New Zealand) finished third, whilst the rest of the field trailed those three by at least three seconds. Kimberly Woods (Great Britain) came down the course quickly but amassed penalty points so only qualified in ninth. Viktoriia Us (Ukraine) came out early in the semi-final and set a fast time. By the mid-way point, it had been surpassed with 107.18 by Eliska Mintalova (Slovakia), ahead of 109.00 Woods. These scores increasingly came under threat with Stefanie Horn (Italy) slotting themselves in-between them. Jones went into third before Funk improved into second. Fox proved just how far ahead of everyone she was by setting the fastest time by over four seconds. In the final, Klaudia Zwolinska (Poland) set down a marker early with a 108.98. Maialen Chourraut (Spain) went ahead with a 106.63. Horn soon followed with 106.93 and Funk went even better with 105.50. Fox scored two penalties and after two brilliant runs could only go down in 106.73 to take bronze.

🥇Ricarda Funk 🇩🇪

🥈Maialen Chourraut 🇪🇸

🥉Jessica Fox 🇦🇺