The whitewater of Pau, France, served up a technical masterclass today as the Junior & U23 World Rafting Championships and the Senior World Cup reached their dramatic conclusion. The final day was dedicated to the Slalom discipline—a true test of a crew’s synergy, timing, and nerves.
The course layout was deceptively complex, featuring 12 gates designed to punish even the slightest lapse in concentration: 7 green gates and 5 red gate showed that coordination and tehcnique were the basis and total confidence in the water was essential due to the constant changes of direction. Mastering the ferry was essential to successfully clear every gate.
The penalty system left no room for error. A single touch of a gate added 2 seconds to the time, while a missed gate—the ultimate "run killer"—slapped teams with a massive 50-second penalty. The final standings were determined by the best score across the two runs.
WORLD RAFTING CHAMPIONSHIP JUNIOR AND U23
In the Junior category, the atmosphere was electric. Despite their age, these young athletes displayed a level of technical maturity that handled the "red gate" traps with impressive poise.
In the Junior categoriy, AIN 1 athletes displayed sheer dominance by securing the top spot in both the men’s and women’s events. In the men’s division, Czechia 1 and Italy 1 followed in second and third place, while the women’s podium was completed by France 1 taking silver and Türkiye 1 earning the bronze.
The intensity remained high in the Under 23 categories, where the competition for the title was even more closely contested. In the women’s race, Czechia 1 claimed victory over AIN 1, with Italy 1 securing a solid third-place finish. The Italian delegation saw further success in the men’s event, where Italy 1 took the gold, finishing ahead of AIN 1 and Türkiye 1. Finally, the Mixed U23 category saw France 2 emerge victorious, followed by a strong showing from the Czech teams, who rounded out the podium with Czechia 2 in second and Czechia 1 in third.
WORLD CUP SENIOR
If the Juniors provided the energy, the Senior World Cup provided the spectacle. It was here that the value of experience became undeniable.
The Men’s competition featured a high-stakes battle primarily between Brazil and France. Brasil 2 secured the gold medal with a top time of 120.77. They were followed by Team France 1, who took the silver with a run of 123.04, while the bronze medal went to Brasil 1, who rounded out the podium with a best time of 125.53.
In the Women’s category, AIN claimed the top spot on the podium after clocking a 151.91 in their second run. The silver medal was won by the Italian crew Rafting Team Verona/Garfagnana Rafting with a time of 155.42. The podium was completed by the Notts Raft Racing Ladies from Great Britain, who secured third place with a performance of 208.14.
The Mixed category saw a dominant display by Rafting Team Verona earned the gold medal with an impressive time of 129.19, while Ivrea Canoa Club/Garfagnana Rafting followed in second place to take the silver at 137.14. The bronze medal was awarded to Brasil 1, who finished third with a best time of 175.28.
With the Slalom points awarded, the Overall titles were decided: check out the next article for the Overall results!
