Electrifying atmosphere of the European Championship
The 2023 European Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships took place in Bratislava, Slovakia, from 20 to 23 July 2023 under the auspices of the European Canoe Association (ECA). The event marked the 25th edition of the competition for Juniors (U18) and the 21st edition for the U-23 category.
The biggest stars of paddling who won Olympic medals and world titles for Slovakia grew up on Čunovská voda. Brothers Peter and Pavol Hochschorner, Matej Beňuš and Jana Dukátá grew up on the waves of the Čunovo track.
The tradition of the European Junior and U23 Championships has its cradle in Slovakia, where the first European Junior Championships was held in Liptovský Mikuláš in 1995. Bratislava hosted the first European Under-23 Championship in 2002. The 25th edition of the European Junior Championships and the 21st European Junior Championships was held in Čunovo.
More than 300 athletes from more than 27 European countries competed for the European Championship titles over four days of competition. Many competitors have already competed in senior events, from World Cups to World and European Championships, and won coveted medals at senior World Cups and World Championships.
“It is one of the most difficult and, at the same time, most beautiful tracks in the world,” commented Michal Martikán, two-time Olympic champion who made the first run down the Čunovo track in August 1996 after winning the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta in 1996.
Learn more about the event at: https://www.canoebratislava.sk/.
