The race to be crowned overall champion in the 2026 International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup Series has officially started.
After the first two legs of the season, the battle for the overall titles is beginning to increase.
The opening World Cups in Tacen and Prague offered plenty of thrilling races as the season got underway.
Let’s look at how things are shaping up in each of the categories ahead of this week’s third stop in the five-leg series in Augsburg.
Click here for live startlists and results from Augsburg
Men’s Kayak
It has been a great start to the season for Italy’s Xabier Ferrazzi. The former junior world champion captured his first-ever World Cup crown with men’s kayak gold in Tacen before backing that up with a bronze in Prague. He sits on the same number of points as Czechia’s Jakub Krejci who built on his performance in Tacen to clinch gold on home waters last weekend. Great Britain’s Rio 2016 Olympic champion Joseph Clarke is also looking in fine form, while Polish pair Michal Pasuit and Mateusz Polaczyk have been rewarded with top five spots after impressing in the opening two rounds.
Click here for the full standings
Women’s Kayak
There is a clear leader in the women’s kayak after a superb comeback to international racing for Australia’s Jessica Fox. Back on the global stage after recovering from surgery, Fox marked her return with silver in Tacen before going one better with victory in Prague last weekend. She holds a strong lead ahead of Spain’s Maialen Chourraut who bagged bronze in Tacen and reached another final in Prague. Back-to-back top five placings has put France’s Emma Vuitton in third spot. Compatriot Camille Prigent and Great Britain’s Louis Leaver round off the top five.
Click here for the full standings
Men’s Canoe
It has been a fascinating battle between Slovenia’s Ziga Lin Hocevar and France’s Nicolas Gestin at the start of the season. Hocevar emerged victorious in sensational style on home waters in Tacen last week as Gestin missed out on a medal. Fast forward one week and roles were reversed. This time, it was Gestin who came out on top with Hocevar finishing outside the podium spots. The 18-year-old’s fourth placed finish in Prague is enough to hold on to top spot in the series. Czechia’s Vaclav Chaloupka, who bagged silver in Tacen, is in third place, with Slovenia’s Luka Bozic and France’s Yohann Senechault in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Click here for the full standings
Women’s Canoe
The Hocevar siblings lead the way in both canoe categories. While her younger brother has edged ahead in the men’s C1 title race, Eva Alina Hocevar has a one-point advantage over Czechia’s Tereza Kneblova. Hocevar has yet to win a World Cup in C1, but a silver medal followed by a fourth placed finished is enough to put her on top. Kneblova’s victory in Tacen has helped put her in second position. Fellow Czech Martina Satkova is in third spot, while France’s Marjorie Delassus and Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods share fourth spot with 80 points.
Click here for the full standings
Men’s Kayak Cross
It has been some start to the season for Ziga Lin Hocevar. As well as leading the overall men’s K1 standings, the Slovenian is sitting at the summit of the overall men’s kayak cross table. The 18-year-old was on fire in Tacen as he stormed to the men’s kayak cross title just one day after his victory in the men’s C1. He then backed that up by ranking fourth in the men’s kayak cross final. Czechia’s Krejci has also been in superb showings, winning the men’s K1 and men’s kayak cross events in Prague to put pressure on Hocevar. France remain strong in kayak cross with Joris Hello and Mathurin Madore placing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Click here for the full standings
Women’s Kayak Cross
Switzerland’s Alena Marx occupies top spot in the women’s kayak cross category, largely thanks to her triumph in Tacen two weeks ago. The Swiss failed to make the final in Prague but her third place finish in the semi-final keeps her in first position in the overall standings. Evy Leibfarth of the United States would have been disappointed to come away from Prague without a medal, but she has climbed to second place behind Marx after making the final, while Great Britain’s Woods and French duo Marjorie Delassus and Prigent are also in the top five. Prigent has moved into fifth position courtesy of her first World Cup victory in kayak cross head-to-head.
Click here for the full standings
Men’s Kayak Cross Individual
There is just one point separating the top three in the men’s kayak cross individual standings. Nothing can separate France’s Madore and Great Britain’s Clarke at the top as they both sit on 101 points, while British ace Sam Leaver, who triumphed in Tacen, is just one point behind them after the first two rounds. Italy’s De Gennaro’s success in Prague has seen him climb to fourth position, while Slovenia’s Hocevar completes the top five.
Click here for the full standings
Women’s Kayak Cross Individual
France’s Prigent, last year’s overall World Cup winner in this event, has picked up from where she left off. She proved too hot to handle in Tacen as she swept to victory before placing fourth in Prague. The Frenchwoman is in joint first position with Czechia’s Katerina Bekova who came out on top in Prague. Third position is also shared with France’s Angele Hug and Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska earning 82 points from the first two World Cups, while France’s Marjorie Delassus’ bronze medal in Prague has seen her move up to fifth.
Click here for the full standings
Full coverage of the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Augsburg can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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