Strong start in Patagonia: Downriver delivers the first points of the World Champs

The World Rafting Championships officially kicked off today in the breathtaking setting of Aluminé, Argentine Patagonia, with 80 teams from around the world paddling in the pristine waters of the Aluminé River. Competitors are racing across four categories — Men, Women, Mix, and Para-Rafting— in the quest for world titles.

The opening event, the Downriver, delivered the first Championship points, in some cases were razon-thin — a true test of endurance, teamwork, and precision that set the tone for exciting days ahead.

DOWNRIVER RESULTS

MEN

Brasile 2 22:43.252 (Angelo Degrandi, Lucas Da Silva, Saulo Quirino, Thiago Diniz Barne Ganeo, Paulo Righeto)

Francia 1 22:43.452 (Nicolas Fayol, Loris Minvielle, Jason Brothier, Djendy Simeant)

Japan 1 22:49.948 (Keita Yagisawa, Ikuro Honda, Arata Katakura, Akira Nakano, Taro Ando)

WOMEN

AIN 1 24:05.502 (Elizaveta Barneva, Ekaterina Kozhanova, Tamara Chugunova, Vera Malakhova, Valentina Kozhanova)

Japan 1 24:15.272 (Takae Mori, Rikako Yamakawa, Rie Funada, Chika Ogawa, Yuki Saito)

Slovakia 24:19.276 (Julia Pavelkovà, Katarìna Jadudovà, Veronika Kvetakova, Suzana Čunderlìkovà)

MIX

AIN 2 23:37.149 ((Elizaveta Barneva, Andrey Koviazin, Vera Malakhova, Valentina Kozhanova, Dimitry Akchin)

Japan 1 24:03.595 (Kurumi Tomisawa, Massayo Abe, Satoshi Koizumi, Yuta Fujikawa)

AIN 1 24:06.113 (Andrey Degtyarev, Ekaterina Kozhanova, Tamara Chugunova, Kirill Talpa, Roman Shmalts)

PARA-RAFTING

Brasil 1 25:21.836 (Ariel Thon, Francisco Kess, Rafael Mahn, Thiago Diniz Barne Ganeo, Paulo Righeto)

Italy 1 25:37.193 (Rosario Sperandini, Riccardo Novella, Riccardo Colombo, Zeno Martini)

Colombia 1 27:04.433 (Jesus David Acevedo Arenas, Jorge Arturo Rios Caceres, Edwin Andres, Norberto de Jesus Jaimes Valbuena)

RX Qualifying Heats in the morning set the stage for tomorrow’s Knock-out phase. This fast run on Aluminé river did not award points, but it certainly drew the teams’ attention, as they carefully observed and analyzed each other’s performances in preparation for the upcoming Knock-out

RX QUALIFICATION

MEN

Argentina 1 01:08.263

AIN 1 01:08.366

Francia 1 01:08.649

WOMEN

Japan 1 01:14.105

Argentina 2 01:14.147

Slovakia 01:14.197

MIX

Japan 1 01:09.512

Argentina 3 01:11.250