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The first edition ever of the Champions Race is just around the corner! Organised by Parc Aquasports in Pau, South France, this slalom is a never-seen-before concept, requiring speed and precision on a shortened slalom course.
3 days before the event, we can already say that the paddlers are very enthusiastic by Parc Aquasports’ project : 180 departures, 10 nationalities (FRA, CZE, ITA, ESP, MRI, SUI, IRL, NED , POL, UKR), the participation of 12 Tokyo 2021 Olympians and the 2021 U23 and U18 World Champions in several categories.
Here are the top athletes to follow, and what a sick line up!
In C1 Men will run Miquel Trave (ESP) and Vojtej Heger (CZE) but also the Olympians Grzegorz Hedwig (POL), Liam Jegou (IRL), Thomas Koechlin (SUI).
In C1 Women we’ll find the world number 3 Fiserova Tereza, the European champion Miren Lazkano, the Ukrainian Olympian Viktoriia Us and also Marjorie Delassus (FRA), 4th place at the latest Olympic Games.
Among the K1 Men, you’ll see the young Jakub Krejci (CZE), and Anatole Delassus, respectively U23 World champion and vice-champion in 2021, the two Spanish Pau Echaniz (ESP) and Llorente David (ESP), the Polish and Swiss national teams, and not to mention all international residents of Pau.
K1W is composed of a fine line-up of French women led by the French representative of the Tokyo Olympics Marie Zélia Lafont, the U23 world champion Coline Charel, the U23 European champion Emma Vuitton and Polish and Ukrainian Olympic finalists Claudia Zwolinska and Victoria US.
The course setters Janos Peterlin and Jérome Blanchet have concocted a 22-gate route for the qualifying heats taking place on a traditional format. For the final, the format will be more spectacular and innovative, with 12 gates including 4 upstream gates. Rules will be more flexible as well, with a 1-second instead of a 2-second penalty per touch.
The final course will push the technical limits of the participants with very technical sequences, where risk taking will be a game changer. The real question is, how many paddlers will get through all the gates without making a mistake ?
The organization hopes to see you on its social media where they will make an effort to allow as many people as possible to follow the event from the web.
Follow the race live on the Champion’s Race’s Facebook and Instagram.
A reminder of the unfolding of the event:
Race Schedule – March 19th
10.00 – Qualifiers Heat 1
14.00 – Qualifiers Heat 2
19.00 – Finals and Prize Giving Ceremony