New Zealand's kayaking contingent is almost back at full strength for the fifth and final ICF World Cup slalom round in the Czech Republic this week.

Callum Gilbert was the only Kiwi in action in the fourth round in Germany last weekend, finishing 21st in the men's K1, but he'll be joined by Jack Dangen and Finn Butcher in Prague, along with Luuka Jones and Hannah Thomas (women's C1 and K1) and men's C1 paddler Ben Gibb.

It's the final hit-out for the team before the all-important world championships in Spain at the end of the month, from which Patrick Washer (C1M) has ruled himself out with insufficient time to fully prepare after rehabbing from injury.

This weekend's racing - which starts on Friday night (NZ time) - counts for double points as the World Cup series race is decided. Gilbert is the highest-ranked New Zealander in the K1 World Cup rankings, at 22, with Butcher 28th and Dangen 50th.

Jones is ranked 16th in the women's K1 and 49th in the women's C1, having skipped several rounds in the latter division.  Thomas is the best Kiwi at 31st in the C1, after making two consecutive semifinals, while Gibb is ranked 59th in the C1 men.

All of the 2018 champions are still in the running to defend their titles, with Czech Jiri Prskavec currently leading the K1 standings, Slovakia’s Alexander Slafkovsky third in the men’s C1, and Australia’s Jessica Fox, the reigning women’s C1 and K1 title holder, currently leading the C1 and sitting fourth in the K1.

Prskavec has once again enjoyed a consistent season without winning any gold medals. His last world cup gold was in September 2016, but the diminutive Czech rarely finishes off the podium, and almost always makes the finals.

He currently has 199 points off the back of a silver and two bronze medals this year, with Slovenia’s Peter Kauzer second on 178 points. He has finished on the podium only once this year, a silver medal on his home course in Tacen.

Czech Vit Prindis, who broke through for his first world cup gold medal for two years on Sunday in Markkleeberg, sits third on 152. Prindis was the overall world cup winner in 2017.

With 120 points available for the winner in Prague this weekend, technically any of the athletes currently sitting in the top 20 could take gold. Australia’s Lucien Delfour, on 83 points, picked up his first world cup medal, a silver, on the weekend and currently ranks 20th.

In the women’s K1, a win for Austria’s Corinna Kuhnle at the second world cup in Bratislava has helped her to the top of the leaderboard on 180 points, 15 ahead of Markkleeberg winner Ricarda Funk of Germany and Slovenia’s Eva Tercelj.

Kuhnle was the world cup champion in 2014 and 2015, and is in the box seat to take her third overall title.

Funk has not finished off the podium this year, but missed the third world cup in Tacen. That was the event where Tercelj finished second, her best result of 2019 so far. Last year’s winner, Jessica Fox, has a silver and bronze medal this year and 158 points, putting her fourth overall.

Fox is in a  better position to win her third consecutive women’s C1 world cup title, holding a commanding 47-point lead heading into the final weekend. The Australian has had a win and two thirds this year to accumulate 192 points, with Brazil’s Ana Satila sitting third on 145 points.

Austria’s Viktoria Wolffhardt is fourth on 136, just ahead of Germany’s Andrea Herzog on 134.

Slovenia’s Luka Bozic, a silver medalist in Markkleeberg and bronze medalist in Bratislava, leads the men’s C1 on 187 points. Slovakia’s Matej Benus is second on 169, while teammate Alexander Slafkovsky, who picked up his first world cup gold medal for more than three years on Saturday, sits third on 161.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist, Michal Martikan, is just one point behind his Slovakian teammate on 160.

Jamie Troughton

Article added: Thursday 05 September 2019