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The second stop of the 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup concluded in Prague with packed grandstands, world-class racing and memorable performances from both the host nation and some of the sport’s biggest international stars.

After Slovenia dominated the opening World Cup in Tacen, it was Czechia's turn to celebrate in front of its fans at one of canoe slalom’s most iconic venues. Prague, which previously hosted the European Championships in both 2018 and 2020, once again demonstrated why it remains one of the premier destinations on the international calendar.

The home crowd had plenty to celebrate thanks to Jakub Krejčí, who emerged as the standout male athlete of the weekend. The Czech paddler secured victory in Men's Kayak before adding a second gold medal in Men's Kayak Cross, becoming the only athlete to win two World Cup titles in Prague.

The women’s events once again highlighted the strength and depth of European canoe slalom. Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska and Slovakia’s Zuzana Panková secured podium finishes in Women’s Kayak, while Czech athlete Martina Satková delighted the home crowd with a silver medal in Women’s Canoe, missing victory by just 0.27 seconds in one of the closest races of the weekend. France’s Emma Vuitton and Germany’s Ricarda Funk also added valuable points with strong performances in Prague, underlining the competitiveness of Europe’s leading female athletes.

France celebrated victory in Men's Canoe through Nicolas Gestin, who delivered a composed and technically impressive run to defeat Slovakia’s Marko Mirgorodsky and Great Britain's Adam Burgess. Slovenian star Žiga Lin Hočevar, winner of two gold medals in Tacen, narrowly missed the podium in fourth place.

The Kayak Cross events once again delivered some of the most exciting action of the weekend. In the men's competition, Jakub Krejčí completed a dream weekend by taking his second gold medal, while France’s Camille Prigent won the women’s title after a strong and consistent performance throughout the event.


The Individual Kayak Cross Time Trials also crowned new winners. Italy’s Giovanni De Gennaro topped the men’s ranking ahead of Great Britain's Joseph Clarke and Germany’s Marten Konrad, while Czech athlete Katerina Beková delighted local supporters by winning the women’s title ahead of Germany’s Ricarda Funk and France’s Marjorie Delassus.

Although Australia claimed three medals thanks to Jessica Fox, Europe once again demonstrated its dominance in canoe slalom. European athletes secured 21 of the 24 medals awarded, representing 87.5% of all podium positions during the competition.

Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Czechia	3	2	0	5
France	2	0	3	5
Great Britain	0	3	3	6
Australia	2	1	0	3
Poland	0	2	2	4
Germany	0	1	3	4
Italy	1	0	1	2
Slovakia	0	2	1	3
Switzerland	0	0	1	1
Slovenia	0	0	1	1

Czechia topped the medal table with three gold medals on home water, while Great Britain finished as the nation with the highest overall medal count, collecting six medals across the various disciplines.

Following two highly successful World Cup events in Tacen and Prague, the battle for the overall World Cup rankings is becoming increasingly competitive. Europe’s leading athletes will now continue their preparations for the remaining World Cup races and, ultimately, for the 2026 European Canoe Slalom Championships in Ivrea, Italy, from 24 to 26 September.

After Slovenia ruled in Tacen and Czechia celebrated in Prague, the 2026 season is already proving to be one of the most competitive and exciting in recent years.