Double points on offer for the final ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup of 2018 has thrown the race for this year’s titles, with even Paddle Australia’s all-conquering Jessica Fox from Australia not a certainty for final glory.
Jessica Fox (NSW) has won all five women’s C1 world cup titles this year, to open up a 66 point lead over Austria’s Viktoria Wolffhardt. But with 120 points available to this weekend’s winning in Le Seu, Spain, the race is not over, with a nail-biting final to be expected this weekend.
Likewise in the K1, where Fox was beaten into silver for the first time last weekend at the Canoe Slalom World Cup 4 in Slovenia, her lead of 42 points over another Austrian, Corinna Kuhnle, will provide an exciting finish on Sunday.
Kuhnle is the only athlete to have bettered Fox this season. Ricarda Funk, the German who dominated K1 racing last season, is currently 53 points behind Fox and not out of the race for the overall World Cup title.
Fox has had her best season yet and already created history with her performances this year. Until last weekend’s World Cup, the two-time Olympic medallist, had been unbeaten in both the women’s K1 and C1, winning golden doubles at the World Cups in Liptovsky, Krakow and Augsburg, a record without peer in the history of both men’s and women’s paddling.
“It’s just been an amazing season, my best season ever. It’s been very special and obviously and I’m proud of the way I raced, Fox said
“After each weekend I was telling myself ‘wow, it’s going to be really hard to back that up. To be on the podium like this, and be consistent, I think that’s what’s been really important this season.
“I’ve never won three gold medals in the K1 before in World Cups and I’ve never won the overall world cup in the K1. It’s exciting that I’m in the running for that as well as the C1.”
Team mate Rosalyn Lawrence (NSW) will also aim to finish the World Cup season on a high after going into the final weekend ranked eighth in the K1 and fourth in the C1.
Noemie Fox (NSW) and Kate Eckhardt (TAS) complete the women’s team in Spain.
The World Cup final will be a welcome opportunity for a final test run ahead of the World Championships at the end of September.
Daniel Watkins (TAS) will be at the start line in both the men’s C1 and K1. Ian Borrows (NSW) and Brodie Crawford (WA) will join him in the C1, while Olympian Lucien Delfour (NSW) will be racing the K1 together with teammate Tim Anderson (NSW).
The World Cup Final will see the full Australian World Championship team in action before the team heads over to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships at the end of this month (25 – 30 September 2018).
Racing in La Seu starts today, Friday, 7 September and runs through until Sunday, 9 September 2018.
Live stream will be available here: https://www.canoeicf.com/canoe-slalom-world-cup/la-seu-durgell-2018
See World Cup Standings here: https://www.canoeicf.com/icf-canoe-slalom-world-cup-standing
Follow live results here:
https://www.canoeicf.com/canoe-slalom-world-cup/la-seu-durgell-2018/rankings-results
Competition Schedule
Friday, 7 September
| 08:30 (16:30 AEST) | C1M – Heats – 1st run |
| 09:40 (17:40 AEST) | K1W – Heats – 1st run |
| 10:48 (18:48 AEST) | C1M – Heats – 2nd run |
| 11:38 (19:38 AEST) | K1W – Heats -2nd run |
| 13:45 (21:45 AEST) | C1W – Heats – 1st run |
| 14:40 (22:40 AEST) | K1M – Heats – 1st run |
| 16:15 (00:15 AEST) | C1W – Heats – 2nd run |
| 16:50 (00:50 AEST) | K1M – Heats – 2nd run |
Saturday, 8 September 2018
| 09:03 (17:03 AEST) | C1M Semi final |
| 10:08 (18:08 AEST) | K1W Semi final |
| 12:03 (20:03 AEST) | C1M Final |
| 12:40 (20:40 AEST) | K1W Final |
Sunday, 9 September
| 09:03 (17:03 AEST) | C1W Semi final |
| 10:08 (18:08 AEST) | K1M Semi final |
| 12:03 (20:03 AEST) | C1W Final |
| 12:40 (20:40 AEST) | K1M Final |
Paddle Australia Team – 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Final La Seu d’Urgell
| K1 Men | Lucien Delfour (NSW) |
| Tim Anderson (NSW) | |
| Daniel Watkins (TAS) | |
| C1 Men | Daniel Watkins (TAS) |
| Brodie Crawford (WA) | |
| Ian Borrows (NSW) | |
| K1 Women | Jessica Fox (NSW) |
| Rosalyn Lawrence (NSW) | |
| Kate Eckhardt (TAS) | |
| C1 Women | Jessica Fox (NSW) |
| Rosalyn Lawrence (NSW) | |
| Noemie Fox (NSW) |
