Canoe Slalom World Championship Review

Those with an interest in the sport of canoe slalom have a real treat in store as the World Championship takes place this year. The 2019 Canoe Slalom World Championship is scheduled to take place in Spain at the Segre Olympic Park between 24 and 29 September and is sure to have a sizeable following.

Dedicated supporters of the scene will be in attendance and watching the live streams available while casual sports fans will also be popping in and out to keep a check on results. There’s plenty to keep fans interested during the six days of competition as we look forward to the best in the business putting on a show.

Returning to an Old Favourite

This will be the 40^th edition of the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships and is sure to be the best yet with the most talented competitors in attendance, all confident in their ability to join the record books and write their name in history. This is a fantastic opportunity for those in attendance to reach the pinnacle of their sport and we should see some very determined efforts over the course of the week.

Those with a keen eye for detail may remember this venue – the Segre Olympic Park – was also the host of the 1992 summer Olympics and many of the more experienced runners will be familiar with the lay-out of the course and the challenges that await them in Spain. This will be the third time the venue has played host to this event, having welcomed the Canoe Slalom World Championships for the first time back in 1999 before doing it all again a decade late.

Every time we see the Serge Olympic Park it seems to improve. Organisers work tirelessly to ensure it remains a modern course and one that is the envy of much of the world. It has been kept up to speed with the ever-changing sport and is more than capable of doing the game proud again this time. Who will come out on top in Sunday’s final day of racing? It’s anyone’s guess at this point and followers can make their predictions, but we are confident we’ll all have great fun finding out who the big winners and losers of the week are.

Places in Tokyo up for Grabs

There will be real pressure on the competitors as they aim to be crowned world champion but it’s also worth remembering this is a pre-Olympic, ahead of next summer’s games at 2020 in Tokyo, and that increases the importance. This tournament, as is the norm a year before the summer Olympics, will double as a qualification event for the Canoe Slalom at the 2020 Olympic Games. Results here could prove the difference between competitors making it to Tokyo and missing out.

The best performing boats earn their nation a qualification place with no less than 18 places available in the K1 events and 11 up for grabs in the C1. That only adds to the drama of the week and it’s also great news for both fans and sports bettors. If you are planning on getting your cash down on the Olympic Games next year it could be worth doing your homework in Spain and noting down the runners that catch your eye. That could lead to a tidy profit next summer and it’ll give you a much better chance of landing a winner than simply guessing at it next year.

Follow the Form of 2018

We can get an idea of what to expect here by looking back at the previous Canoe Slalom World Cup that took place only last year. This means the results remain fresh in our minds and the formbook can be taken into account. The 2018 version of this competition was staged in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil between 25 and 30 September at the Deodoro Olympic Whitewater Stadium. Brazil may have been the host nation, but they finished sixth in the medal table, returning just one gold. Even that went down as a bit of a shock.

Great Britain topped the charts that year and will be confident in their ability to repeat the feat this time and build confidence ahead of Tokyo 2020. Team GB finished in pole thanks to two gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes, making a total of seven. That left them two medals ahead of Germany who returned two golds, one silver and a couple of bronze.

Germany Will be Back for More

Will the Germans be back for more this week? We certainly expect so. Another major player in Brazil last year was Australia and that came as no surprise. They are, however, a better team than their 2018 haul suggests. The Aussies banked two goals in total, with no silvers or bronze to show for their efforts. They are a team we believe it is well worth keeping an eye on, both at this competition and next year at the summer Olympics as they are capable of pushing for the top spot.

The gold medals for Britain came courtesy of Joe Clarke, Bradley Forbes-Cryans and Christopher Bowers in the men’s Kayak and Mallory Franklin, Kimberley Woods and Bethan Forrow in the women’s canoe. Ryan Westley took silver in the Canoe for Great Britain, behind Franz Anton of Germany and ahead of Sideris Tasiadis, also of Germany.