WUC Canoe Sprint finishes with a flourish during 200m finals

• All good things have to come to an end and for the FISU World University Canoe Sprint Championship the conclusion came during the 200m finals on Sunday afternoon in in Szolnok, Hungary.
• It was again the Hungarian team that came up with the best performance in the shortest sprint distance at this championship.
• The national team representing home colours concluded the competition with 11 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals, finishing at the top of the medal table in front of Belarus and Poland.
  

On the distance of 200 metres, Belarusian athletes performed excellently in singles. Men’s kayak single was won by Ivan Tsuranau, whereas in men’s C1 his compatriot, Mikita Miarhuryeu was the quickest. In women’s canoe, Frenchwoman Elore Helle became the world champion over the shortest distance.

France’s Elore Helle (closest) put on an excellent show of strength and speed to take the 200m solo crown in the canoe discipline 

“I did not have a good start. It was a hard race but I managed to win with a good final sprint in the second half of the distance. I am very happy to be here. The French athletes’ mood is excellent and I generally feel that everyone was glad to participate in this contest” said the winner who studies at a French university to become a teacher of physical education.

The Hungarian team’s freshly crowned U23 world champion, Anna Lucz easily won her favourite event, women’s kayak single 200m. One of the best of the home team beat the second placed Polish Wlodarczyk by almost a second. The Belarusian Aleksievich earned the bronze medal.

 Freshly minted U-23 and World University 200m K1 sprint champ Anna Lucz of Hungary (centre), flanked by Poland’s Wlodarczyk (left) and Belarus’ Aleksievich on Sunday after the 200m K1 final. Ms. Lucz opened the WUC by giving the Athletes’ Oath.

“I managed to do everything in the final that I wanted. I could enhance the pace at 100m and also 50 metres before the finish line. What’s more, I also had a good start. I did not expect to be able to win so easily because I only had a week rest after the U23 world championship” told Anna Lucz.

The Italian double of Bartolini & La Spina won the world university championship title in men’s K2 200m. The Polish squad composed of Kitewski and Brynski was triumphant in men’s C2. As regards women’s kayak doubles, Eszter Malcsiner and Rita Katrinecz paddled to a start to finish victory – the duo won their second world university championship title this weekend, having already prevailed in the K2 500m race on Sunday morning. The contest of women’s canoe doubles was won by Belarus thanks to Natallia Trukhanovich and Iryna Vikhruk.

The spirit of comradery and university sport was certainly apparent as the golden Italian double of Bartolini & La Spina celebrate on the docks with fellow competitors after their winning run in the men’s K2 200m competition 

In the race of men’s kayak fours, Spain achieved their first gold medal. Over 200 metres, the quartet of Pedro Vázquez Llenin, Enrique Adan Hernandez, Carlos Borrás Caldentey and Pol Busquets I Pujolar clinched the gold medal. As for the canoeists, the Belarusian team boat composed of Maksim Krysko, Dzianis Patapenka, Ruslan Sazanavets and Ryhor Maisiuk became world university champions, and the closing event resulted in the Hungarian women’s kayak four (Blanka Kis, Szilvia Somogyi, Zsófia Szénási and Dóra Sólyom) winning on the shortest distance.

 The Belarusian quartet that won the four-man title in the 200m canoe discipline in the WUC 2018

At the closing ceremony, on behalf of the organisers Gábor Schmidt, President of the Hungarian Canoe Federation thanked competitors, coaches and officials for their participation.

“The system of university championships is a lovable and important thing that should be supported. I hope that during this weekend we could contribute somewhat to the further successes of this movement,” Gábor Schmidt said in his closing speech.

With the successful conclusion of the eighth edition of the World University Canoe Sprint Championship, the world of university canoe sports turns its gaze to Minsk, Belarus for the next event during the 2020 FISU World University Championship season.

While today’s stars were competing, future generations of aspiring student-athletes were getting as close to the action as they could in Szolnok, Hungary