ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships

Copenhagen – Sept 23, 2013: The central European canoeing powerhouse crossed the line first in seven of the 15 events held on the famous lake Bagsvaerd regatta course, just 15 km north of Copenhagen.

In addition to their tally of Gold’s, they picked up three Silver and five Bronze medals; meaning the podium featured the red, white and green tracksuits of Hungarian athletes 11 out of a possible 15 times.

Topping Hungary’s long list of medalist was the 36-year-old mother of two, Renãta Csay. She crossed the line first to become a World Champion for an incredible 13th time, with five K1 and eight K2 titles to her name.

Astonishingly, she also managed to sum up the strength to take Silver in the K2 Women’s event with partner Alexandra Bara (HUN). Locals Henriette Engel Hansen and Jeanette Løvborg (DEN) snatched Gold.

No problems for McGregor

Hank McGregor (RSA) captured the prestigious K1 Men’s Title to become a three-time World Champion.

The South African, who was disqualified in the 2012 Championships in Rome for a collision with fellow competitors on the portage, said, “I came here with a lot of motivation, I trained hard all year. I didn’t touch anyone, I didn’t bump anyone. I was pretty happy with my race.”

In the Men’s C1 race, first time World Champion, Mãrton Kãvãr (HUN) impressed as he distanced the 2012 Champion, Manuel Antonio Campos (ESP), towards the end of the gruelling course.

New Zealand’s Teneale Hatton won the K1 Women U23 title finishing just two seconds ahead of her nearest rival at the end of the 21.5 km event.

This was the 23-year-olds second World Title this year, following her Gold in the Women’s K1 5000m at the 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Germany at the start of the month.

Spain and Denmark also strong

The second strongest nation was Spain with two Gold, four Silver and a Bronze.

The host nation, Denmark, managed a further crowd-pleasing victory in the K2 Junior Men to add to their K2 Women’s title. They also picked up Bronze in the K2 Junior Women.

Despite a promising start, Danish sprint superstar, Rene Holten Poulsen was unable to medal in the K1 Men’s event, eventually finishing sixth.

The 2013 K1 500m World Championship Silver medalist commented after the lung-busting event, “It was extremely hard, but I just didn’t have more to give at the end. I gave all I had and tried to break free from the others on the last two rounds.”

Also stepping up from the sprint events was C1 Men 1000m London 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist, Mark Oldershaw (CAN), he came seventh in the C1 Men.

World Championship Medalists

K1 Junior Men

Ãdãm Petrã (HUN) – Gold

Artuur Peters (BEL) – Silver

Mãtyãs Koleszãr (HUN) – Bronze

K1 Junior Women

Tamara Takãcs (HUN) – Gold

Kirsten Flanagan (RSA) – Silver

Zsãfia Czãllaivãrãs (HUN) – Bronze

C1 Junior Men

Kristof Khaut (HUN) – Gold

Patryk Gluza (POL) – Silver

Carlo Tacchini (ITA) – Bronze

K1 U23 Women

Teneale Hatton (NZL) – Gold

Raquel Carbajo (ESP) – Silver

Agnes Brun-Lie (NOR) – Bronze

C1 Men U23

Samuel Amorim (POR) – Gold

Pierrick Martin (FRA) – Silver

Rui Lacerda (POR) – Bronze

K1 Men U23

Andrew Birkett (RSA) – Gold

Brandon van der Walt (RSA) – Silver

Mathias Hamar (NOR) – Bronze

K2 Junior Men

Casper Pretzmann / Morten Graversen (DEN) – Gold

Andrãs Gere / Erná Berezvay (HUN) – Silver

Altair Chinchilla / Albert Marti (ESP) – Bronze

K2 Junior Women

Tamara Takãcs / Zsãfia Czãllaivãrãs (HUN) – Gold

Samantha Rees-Clark / Amy Ward (GBR) – Silver

Emilie Ahmt Petersen / Rikke Jørgensen (DEN) – Bronze

C2 Junior Men

Richard Schmidt / Jõzsef Durã (HUN) – Gold

Levente Balla / Vajk Svajda (HUN) – Silver

Lukas Hajek / Simon Hajek (CZE) – Bronze

K1 Women

Renãta Csay (HUN) – Gold

Anna Koåã Kovã (CZE) – Silver

Stefania Cicali (ITA) – Bronze

C1 Men

Mãrton Kãvãr (HUN) – Gold

Manuel Antonio Campos (ESP) – Silver

Tamãs Kiss (HUN) – Bronze

K1 Men

Hank Mc Gregor(RSA) – Gold

Ivan Alonso (ESP) – Silver

Cyrille Carre (FRA) – Bronze

K2 Women

Henriette Engel Hansen / Jeanette Løvborg (DEN) – Gold

Renãta Csay / Alexandra Bara (HUN) – Silver

Anna Koåã Kovã / Lenka Hrochovä (CZE) – Bronze

C2 Men

Oscar Graãa / Ramon Ferro (ESP) – Gold

Manuel Antonio Campos / Diego Romero (ESP) – Silver

Mãrton Kãvãr / Attila Gyãre (HUN) – Bronze

K2 Men

Ivan Alonso / Emilio Merchan (ESP) – Gold

Walter Bouzan / Alvaro Fernandez Fiuza (ESP) – Silver

Bãlint Noã / Milan Noã (HUN) – Bronze. —-