Three familiar names return to the top of the podium at the fourth Slalom World Cup in 2019, but it had been a while since they had been there.
First came Slovakia’s Alexander Slafkovsky, who finally tallied a win in the men’s C-1 final, whipping through a clean run in 92.54 seconds, to win by almost two full seconds ahead of Luka Bozic (SLO: 94.33).
At 36, Slafkovsky had to be wondering when he was going to get back to the winner’s circle. His last win was more than three years ago, in 2016, in Pau, with seven silver medals and a bronze medal in between. But he made it and is now in good position for a run at Tokyo for 2020.
Two more veterans races to gold at the famed Markkleeberg course in Vit Prindis (CZE) and Nuria Vilarrubla (ESP). Neither had won in two years, Vilarrubla in the World Cup Final and Prindis, who won four times in five races that year.
Prindis had a clean run and won decisively over Lucien Delfour (FRA), 87.78-90.21 in the K-1 final. Vilarrubla was in a battle with Czech Teresa Fiserova and Australia’s star Jessica Fox. Vilarrubla’s time of 104.98 was just faster than Fiserova at 105.02 – both with no penalties – but Fox finished in 103.14, but was tagged with a two-second gate penalty and had to settle for third.
Emerging U.S. star Evy Leibfarth, 15, reached the semifinals in the C-1 and K-1 events; American Sage Donnelly also reached the C-1 semis. Summaries:
ICF Slalom World Cup 4
Markkleeberg (GER) ~ 30 August-1 September 2019
(Full results here)
Men/C-1: 1. Alexander Slafkovsky (SVK), 92.54 (0 penalties); 2. Luka Bozic (SLO), 94.33 (0); 3. Franz Anton (GER), 94.43 (0); 4. Michal Martikan (SVK), 95.71 (2); 5. Matej Benus (SVK), 95.75 (0).
Men/K-1: 1. Vit Prindis (CZE), 87.78 (0); 2. Lucien Delfour (AUS), 90.21; 3. Jiri Prskavec (CZE), 90.32 (0); 4. Hannes Aigner (GER), 90.71; 5. Vavrinec Hradilek (CZE), 91.08 (0).
Men/Extreme Canoe: 1. Etienne Chapell (GBR); 2. Max Karlsson (SWE); 3. Tren Long (USA).
Women/C-1: 1. Nuria Vilarrubla (ESP), 104.98 (0); 2. Tereza Fiserova (CZE), 105.02 (0); 3. Jessica Fox (AUS), 105.14 (2); 4. Andrea Herzog (GER), 105.45 (0); 5. Nadine Weratschnig (AUT), 106.24.
Women/K-1: 1. Ricarda Funk (GER), 95.27 (0); 2. Fox (AUS), 99.02 (0); 3. Stefanie Horn (ITA), 99.62 (0); 4. Ana Satila (BRA), 101.46 (0); 5. Jasmin Schornberg (GER), 102.23 (0).
Women/Extreme Canoe: 1. Caroline Trompeter (GER); 2. Ashley Nee (USA); 3. Sage Donnelly (USA).
