River Soča hosts European Downriver Championships 2013
Whitewater meets sprint this weekend at the European Downriver Championships on the Soča River. This year is special for Slovenians – an event has not taken place here for over two decades!
Whitewater meets sprint this weekend at the European Downriver Championships on the Soča River. This year is special for Slovenians – an event has not taken place here for over two decades!
Along with Pau-Pyrenees Urban Community President, Martine Lignère-Cassou, and President of the French Canoe Federation Vincent Blanchet, Tony Estanguet presented the French candidature for the 2017 ICF World Championships to the ICF board in Glasgow.
Water release in the morning was a very challenging 35m3 so everyone got the chance to test the sprint course with the same flow they will experience in the race. The result was dozens of paddlers queueing at the sprint in start order to test the venue as many times as possible.
I arrived with the Italian team on Saturday afternoon 23rd June for the upcoming Downriver World Championships (June 27 to July 1). Val'd'Isere is a magnificent valley.
14 May 1967: wildwater canoeing was already very popular. A lot of spectators used to go and watch wildwater competitions, that were considered an important event for the entire region involved.
Twenty seven year old Nejc Žnidarčič from Solkan, Slovenia, is one of the most successful downriver paddlers. Gnida, as his friends call him, has an enviable collection of medals from the most important whitewater downriver competitions, including a gold medal from the 2011 Wildwater Canoeing Sprint World Championships that were held in Augsburg.
Video of the 2011 Simme River Race in Switzerland.
Watch a summary of the 1981 Downriver World Championships in Bala, Wales, Great Britain.
25 Minutes of wildwater racing with the K1 Men at the Eiskanal in Augsburg, Germany.
All competitors in the C1 Women class at the 2011 Worlds Wildwater Sprint in Augsburg, Germany.
A huge event will be held in Augsburg soon: on the Pentecost weekend the 1st Wildwater Canoe Sprint WC is going to take place from June 11 to 13, 2011. The long standing Eiskanal is not only tempting with high performance to be expected, but also a great program will be performed by the Canoe Schwaben Augsburg co-ordinators.