Competitions

The 2026 Paddle Europe Junior & U23 Wildwater Championships switched fully into Sprint mode on Friday, with two rounds of qualification on the Grandtully Rapids deciding the athletes and crews who will fight for the final individual European titles on Saturday morning

After Wednesday’s individual competition, Thursday brought a different challenge as athletes joined forces in national teams, with Italy, Germany, Great Britain, France, Croatia and Czechia all celebrating victories.

GRANDTULLY, Scotland — The first competition day of the 2026 Paddle Europe Junior and Under 23 Wildwater Championships delivered a full program of Classic Individual racing, with 12 sets of medals awarded on the River Tay and France emerging from Wednesday at the top of the provisional medal table.

At just 17 years old, Valentýna Kočířová emerged as one of the standout athletes of the 2026 Paddle Europe Junior & Under 23 Slalom Championships in Épinal.