First day of race in France: the 3 kms Downriver opens the competing part of the week, with the start in the Durance gorge with 20 cubic meters per second. The water flow doubles with the Gyronde tributary in L’Argentière-la-Bessée, reaching 43 cubics per second in the Stade d’eau vive Michel Baudry.
The first team who started paddling and opened the competition is the same who got the gold. Downriver Champions in the Women category are from Italy 1: Letizia Lauri, Elodie Lumignon, Gaia Mascarello and Carlotta Scalvino stopped the chronometer on 12’37.21. Second place to the compatriots from Italy 2: Martina Bonomi, Christa Gruber, Francesca Leonardi and Miriam Waldboth with 12’44.95. Chile, with almost 10 seconds of gap from the winners, got the bronze with 12’48.99: Nicole Plagemann, Tabata Araya Soto, Costanza Molina and Camila Ortega Ilancafilo.
Durance river
The man category awarded Italy 1 with the best time overall: 11’47.03 for Pietro Fratton, Zeno Martini and Fabio Martini, Lorenzo Mastella.
With a gap of 5 seconds Italy 2 won the second place: Dario Morandi, Michele Pattoglio, Francesco Regina and Giordi Sarteur followed their compatriots with 11’52.99.
The third place in the Downriver goes to South America: Juan Martin Martinez, Denis Orlando Gelves, Mauro Solano and Matias Maximiliano Cordero brought the bronze medal to Argentina.
Para Rafting
Para Rafting brings, for the first time, Para athletes paddling in the same section of the normo athletes, into III level rapids.
Gold to Italy also in this category: Italy 1 with 12’43.01 composed by Riccardo Novella, Marco Montagna, Carlo Benciolini, Nicola Speri, 20 seconds ahead of France 1 (13’03.81) who got the silver: Abel Aber, Latimier Latimier, Hugo Latimier and Benjamin Pillerault. Back to Italy for the third place: Italy 2 with Massimo Giandinoto, Rosario Sperandini, Damiano Casazza and Rinaldo Veneroni (13’10.83).
MIX TEAMS: 2 women and 2 men
Last but not least, in the mix cathegory, 1 second of advantage assured the first place to Sara Amonini, Valentina Volo, Nicholas Gheno and Mattia Felini from Italy 1, with 12’28.24. 12’29.49 for Netherlands: Jenita Gobel, Kiki Roeling, Xandar Van Os, Roel Bakker and Mark de Wit.
Italy 2 closes the mix podium with 12’30.55: Francesca Fontanive, Silvia Venturini, Michele Songini, Riccardo Colombo.
First discipline gone and awarded the first, second and third teams with 80, 72 and 64 points.
