The fight for a spot on the Czech national canoe slalom team kicks off this weekend, April 26–27, at the Trnávka course near Želiv. The opening two races of the ČEZ Group Czech Cup will determine the first rankings, but the decisive moments will come a week later in Prague–Troja, May 3–4.
According to head coach Jiří Prskavec Sr., the 2025 selection could bring a few surprises.
Jiří Prskavec, Lukáš Rohan, Antonie Galušková, Gabriela Satková – names that resonate with every true sports fan. After an Olympic year, Czech canoe slalom athletes are once again aiming for top international medals, and the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Prague – Troja is set to be one of the season’s highlights. One week before the start of the Czech national team trials on Trnávka, ticket sales officially begin. This year, tickets will be available exclusively online.
The 2025 Canoe Slalom World Cup, which will take place in Prague’s Troja (June 27–29), attracts not only local fans but also the world’s top paddlers. The nomination of the Czech team for the Kayak Cross, which will once again be held alongside the canoe slalom races in Troja, is now clear. Who will fight for the valuable medals on the home course?
Even after the Paris Olympics, canoe slalom athletes will not get a break in the 2025 season. In addition to the Canoe Slalom World Cup, which will visit Prague's Troja at the end of June, they will fight for their first international medals in May at the ECA European Championships on the Olympic course in France. The World Championships will conclude the long season, this time in the highly attractive Australia – the home of the current biggest star of canoe slalom, Jessica Fox.
The day awaited by the whole world arrived. Three Olympic spots were up for grabs in both men's and women's categories. France’s Angele Hug and Spain’s Manuel Ochoa both won kayak cross gold on the final day of the International Canoe Federation World Cup in Prague, but both now face a nervous wait to learn if they will get to compete at the Paris Olympics.
Behind every success lies a lot of hard work. Gabriela Satková's triumph at the World Cup in Prague's Troja, however, required something more. "I knew I had to show something special to beat the girls. It's not enough just to go down the course without mistakes. So I went for it, and I am very happy with myself," laughed the twenty-two-year-old canoeist at the finish line. "I really tried to take risks."
From the morning, he knew this race would be different. "I was nervous, I focused more. This is what I lacked in kayaking, probably because I'm aiming for a different peak there," described Jiří Prskavec at the finish line, already as the winner of the World Cup in the singles category. In a dramatic race in Prague's Troja, he triumphed ahead of Slovenian Benjamin Savšek and Frenchman Nicolas Gestin. The women's race was dominated by Gabriela Satková, ahead of Jessica Fox from Australia and Germany's Andrea Herzog. They were supported in the stands by Petr Pavel, the President of the Czech Republic.
The three-day program of the World Cup in Prague was opened by the women's and men's kayak categories. The top ten athletes in each category advanced directly from the qualifications to the finals. In the women's category, Emma Vuitton from France dominated, while the men's category was won by the Italian athlete Giovanni de Genarro.
On Friday (7 June 2024), the long-awaited ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup begins in Prague. Due to high water levels, the program had to be adjusted. On Friday, kayakers will start, Saturday will be dedicated to the canoeists' race, and Sunday's kayak cross will determine last spots at Olympic Games in Paris.
The sparkle in her eyes is absolutely evident, whether she’s in canoe slalom or near airplanes. "I’m definitely riding a wave right now," smiles kayaker Antonie Galušková, who secured her spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics through a tough domestic nomination. Until recently, she was studying to become a transport pilot at CTU. "But because of sports, I switched to aircraft maintenance technology, which is something like an aircraft mechanic. I couldn't keep up."