10/06/2024
ICF CFR WORLD CUPS 2024 SUMMARY
Although we always strive to put on the best event possible, we had particularly high expectations for this year's World Cup series in Plattling……It just happens to be the perfect place for an event, with an experienced paddler-focused organising team, a great competition feature, free camping next to the river, free & unlimited training, all this, and a beer festival in town thrown in.
As usual, the town of Plattling welcomed us with open arms. The opening ceremonies & procession through the town turned out to be real highlights. The procession culminated in the athletes gathering at a huge beer festival tent. Live bands, dancing, singing and wiessbier ensued.
With the feature at a perfect level, World Cup One commenced at the unearthly hour of 07:00, and the day's program didn’t finish until 21:00 that evening. 14 hours a day of brilliant Freestyle…... We had 4 full days of competition like that before flood warnings meant we had to cancel World Cup 2 after the opening round.
Both World Cups were peppered with stand-out performances. K1 Woman, Zofia Tula, was worthy of note with her amazing, gold medal performance in the World Cup One. USA’s Landon Miller’s clean sweep in C1 men, GBR’s Ottilie Robinson Shaw, coming back from injury dominating the Women’s classes, taking overall World Cup wins in 3 separate classes.
Home towner Mike Lochny got the biggest cheer of the whole event when he won the Mens Sq**rt against the run of play. Another local paddler Tim Rees took golds in both World Cups in what is his last year as a junior man, while Irelands Leah Hough and GBR’s Isabella Wormall battled it out in the Junior woman’s class. Leah took the honours as the overall winner.
This was a paddlers event and the atmosphere amongst the athletes reflected this.
It was an opportunity for the paddlers to get together, have fun, play hard & compete hard. Most of all it was an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate our sport, whilst remembering those who could not be with us.
Well the floods came as predicted and within 24 hours the whole site was underwater, but this didn’t dampen anyone's spirits, Freestylers are used to this. No one's memories of the event will be diminished by how it ended. A great time had been had by all.
Massive thanks need to go to Thomas & Anne and the organising team, along with Charlie & his judges, an awesome feat. But mostly thank you to the paddlers, you are the best.
Everyone is now looking forward to next year’s Worlds.
Thank you Plattling.
