The last RX on Adda river was on fire at the World Rafting Championships 2023.
On friday the knock out of Mix, Women and Men went on until the finals at night, with the fireworks that lit up the 400 athletes, the teams' coaches and supporters and many local river enthusiasts cheering and running along the shores of the semi-artificial channel.
Awarding the 120 golden points RX podium confirmed the same results in the overall MEN. WRC men title goes to Japan 1 with 290 points, downriver and RX winners, silver in the slalom. Taro Hando, Tohru Kanaya, Akira Nakano, Satoshi Koizumi and Keita Yagisawa climbed the knock out phase, winning against Slovakia, Colombia, Argentina, landing at the semi-finals against the slalom winner Italy 1. They made it to the ultimated destination of final A, giving everything and prevailing against Brasil 1.
Brasil 1 got the RX silver: William Ferraz, Thiago Diniz Barne Ganeo, Pedro Aversa and Thiago Saldanha Serra are the new Vice World Champions with 260 points.
Bronze for Italy 1 with Zeno Martini, Fabio Martini, Pietro Fratton and Lorenzo Mastella who won the final B against Japan 2, becoming third in the world with 256 points.
Japan 1 awarded by IOC member Ivo Ferriani
Also the WOMEN RX title lands in Asia: for the first time competing in this discipline abroad, Japan 1 Masayo Abe, Hiromi Asai, Hanako Ita and Machiko Nakahashi didn't hold back against Costa Rica 1, Czech Republic 1, Slovakia and won the final A against the locals of Italy 1 who got the RX silver.
RX third place goes to Nicole Plagemann, Camila Ortega Llancafilo, Yarela Munoz and Carla Barriento: Chile won the final B against Slovakia.
The 120-108-96 points of the RX decided everything: overall women gold goes to Sara Amonini, Francesca Leonardi, Francesca Fontanive and Silvia Venturini of Italy 1 with 288 points.
Silver overall for the RX winners Masayo Abe, Hiromi Asai, Hanako Ita and Machiko Nakahashi from Japan 1 who defended the steps of the podium with 282 points in total.
230 points for the third place: Chile gets the overall bronze thanks to Nicole Plagemann, Camila Ortega Llancafilo, Yarela Munoz and Carla Barriento.
Italy 1 in Sondrio, opening ceremony
7 rounds of knock out decided the MIX RX medals:
Gold to Italy 2 Lorenzo Mastella, Zeno Martini, Giada Debon and Maria Martini, silver to Italy 1 Fabio Martini, Dario Morandi, Francesca Leonardi and Sara Amonini and bronze to Slovakia 1 Jacub Chynoradsky, Dominic Chynoradsky, Hana Derkova and Nina Trstanova who who won the final B against Colombia 1.
The overall gold was confirmed by the RX: Italy 2 Lorenzo Mastella, Zeno Martini, Giada Debon and Maria Martini are World Rafting Champions with 292 points. Italy 1 takes also the second place overall: Fabio Martini, Dario Morandi, Francesca Leonardi and Sara Amonini with 278 points.
Overall bronze goes to Colombia 1 with 278 scored by William Delgado, Luswing Millan, Milyei Nunez and Milagros Morales.
Italy 2 mix during the knock out
The PARA-RAFTING disciline has also been dominated by the italian rafters overall: gold to Italy 1 (Marco Montagna, Riccardo Novella, Carlo Benciolini and Dario Morandi) with 292 points thanks to the victory in the RX, silver for Italy 2 (Rosario Sperandini, Paolo Bertello, Giordi Sarteur and Riccardo Colombo) with 278 and bronze to Chile 1 (Franco Gutierrez, Rodrigo Toledo, Matias Cavieres, Sebastian Acevedo and Lisa Farias) with 234 points, thanks to a fourth place in the RX.
Italy 2 during the national anthem as new world Para-Rafting Champions
WRF President Danilo Barmaz declared: "Congratulations to all the 400 athletes: the level was notable and the participation very active. WRF thanks everyone who paddled in Adda river during this unforgettable week."
