The adrenaline reached a boiling point in Pau, France, for the second day of the Junior & U23 World Championships and the Senior World Cup. Following yesterday’s speed race, today was all about the RX discipline—a head-to-head battle where physical power meets tactical brilliance.
With nearly 300 athletes lining up at the start, the atmosphere was electric. The course in Pau tests every facet rafters skill, featuring two pairs of red upstream gates and two pairs of green downstream gates. In the RX format, it isn’t just about the fastest line; it’s about claiming your space and outmaneuvering the boat beside you.
Strategy began even before the first paddle hit the water: the teams that clocked the fastest times in yesterday’s Sprint earned the right to choose their starting line, the side of the river for the start. Today wasn't just about technical river skills; it was about anticipation and last minute decisions.
Starting from the Round of 16, the field narrowed through the Quarter and Semi-finals, the intensity peaked, leading to breathtaking final tonight.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP JUNIOR AND U23
In the Junior Men’s division, the podium was claimed by Czechia 1 (Ondřej Procházka, Vojtěch Slušný, Jakub Hanuš, Jáchym Fröhlich), who displayed surgical precision to fend off fierce competition from AIN 1 and Italy 1. The Women’s U19 category showcased consistency from AIN 1 (Mariia Briushinina, Sidorkina Miroslava, Veronika Ziminskaya, Inna Zinoveva, Elizaveta Barneva) and AIN 2 athletes, who secured respectively the gold and silver medals, leaving the bronze to a determined France 1 squad that fed off the local crowd's energy.
Moving to the U23 ranks, the technical demands of the course truly began to separate the field. Italy 1 (Luca Liuzzo, Boscia Duccio, Giacomo Schettino, Matteo Lancellotti) showcased incredible tactical superiority in the Men’s final, navigating the red upstream gates flawlessly to take the win over AIN 1 and Turkey 1. The U23 Women saw Czechia (Rozarie Svehlova, Kristyna Znamenakckova, Katerina Rutarova, Sara Hrdlickova) return to the top of the podium in a breathtaking display of strength, followed by AIN in second and Italy in third.
The day reached its emotional crescendo with the Mixed U23 category, which cemented Italy’s status as the team to beat; Italy 1 powered through the final rapids to secure the gold, leaving AIN 1 with the silver and Czechia 1 with the bronze.
WORLD CUP SENIOR
The Men’s podium was a historic, all-Brazilian affair, showcasing the South American nation's absolute mastery also in the RX format; Brasil 2 (Queiroz Saulo, Righeto Scantimburgo, Degrandi Angelo Eduardo, Da Silva Lucas) took the gold in a breathtaking final against their own teammates, with Brasil 1 securing the silver and Brasil 3 rounding out a spectacular yellow-and-green sweep of the medals.
In Women category AIN (Kozhanova Valentina, Malakhova Vera, Chugunova Tamara, Kozhanova Ekaterina) powered through the strategical course to claim the top spot. They were closely chased by Rafting Team Verona/Garfagnana, who took home the silver, while Great Britain’s Notts Raft Racing Ladies fought through the spray to secure a well-deserved bronze. In the Mixed Senior division, the tactical brilliance of Rafting Team Verona claiming the gold medal. They were followed by Brasil 2, adding more silverware to the Brazilian haul, and the composite crew of Ivrea Canoa Club/Garfagnana Rafting in third. Finally, in the Para-Rafting category, the athletes from Spain (Lopez Daniel, Mateo Valtueña Jorge, Palacín Artigosa Selma, Tomás Mora Ivan) stood triumphant, proving that the spirit of competition in Pau knows no bounds.
As the sun sets on this second day of competition, the echoes of the fans—who were undoubtedly the loudest presence on the riverbank—still linger over the water. With the RX medals now decided, the focus shifts to the technical discipline of Slalom, where the precision of every stroke will be the ultimate decider.
