Canoeist Savšek and men's team defend European titles
Prague, 20 September - Slovenia's slalom canoeist Benjamin Savšek has defended his European champion title having beaten his rivals in Sunday's C1 final in Prague. He outperformed his closest rival Lukaš Rohan from the Czech Republic by three seconds and 79 hundredths. The men's team also managed to defend the title.
Prague, Czechia
Slovenian canoeist Benjamin Savšek.
Photo: The Slovenian Kayak Association
Prague, Czechia
Slovenia's canoe team: Benjamin Savšek, Luka Božič and Jure Lenarčič.
Photo: The Slovenian Kayak Association
This is Savšek's third European title after Pau in 2019 and Markkleeberg in 2015, which came after after kayaker Peter Kauzer and the women's canoe team won silver at the European Canoe Slalom Championships comes on Saturday.
Luka Božič, Benjamin Savšek and Jure Lenarčič meanwhile defended the C1 team title, yet last year's team featured Anže Betčič instead of Lenarčič. "It was great. The team run went really well, just as we planned it," said Lenarčič.
Missing medals by a notch in today's finals were meanwhile woman kayaker Eva Terčelj, canoeist Luka Božič and the women's kayak team, all placing fourth.
Savšek also won gold in the C1 event at the 2017 Canoe Slalom World Championships and was member of the team that won the C1 team event at the 2018 Canoe Slalom Worlds in Rio de Janiero.
"I'm happy I managed to defend last year's title. I managed an incredible ride, and I'm happy I did it without any penalties.... I was a difficult track, but I kept the right focus and persevered from the start to the finish line with an incredible performance," Savšek said after the race.