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After the recent Paddle Europe Freestyle Championships in Lieksa, Finland, the international freestyle scene moved quickly to France, where the best paddlers in the world returned to action for three days of competition across canoe, kayak and squirt categories.

Europe arrived in Millau with some of the strongest names in the sport and once again confirmed its leading position on the international stage. Across the finals analysed, European paddlers won seven of the eight gold medals, occupied 23 of the 24 podium positions and represented 34 of the 38 finalist places. The only non-European title came in the Women’s Kayak Surface Junior final, where Mary Claire Hargrove of the United States took victory ahead of Poland’s Maja Kawczynska and Germany’s Marie Dimke.

In the senior Women’s Kayak Surface final, Great Britain’s Ottilie Robinson-Shaw underlined her status as one of the leading figures in canoe freestyle. The nine-time world champion delivered a strong final performance to win with 1086.67 points, ahead of Ireland’s Leah Hough and Poland’s Zofia Tula, giving Europe a full podium in one of the headline events of the competition. Poland also placed Agata Sobieraj Jakubiec in fourth, while Makinley Kate Hargrove of the United States completed the final in fifth.

Robinson-Shaw added another victory in the Women’s Kayak Squirt final, where she finished well ahead of Norway’s Valerie Bertrand and Great Britain’s Anne Ruyters. It was another all-European podium and another sign of the depth of the continent across the different freestyle formats.

The British star also completed a dominant women’s programme by winning the Women’s Canoe Decked Surface final. Poland’s Zofia Tula took silver, Germany’s Anika Schacher finished third, while Germany’s Lucia Hacker and Ireland’s Bethany Butler completed an entirely European top five.

The junior Men’s Kayak Surface final also highlighted the strength of Europe’s next generation. Ireland’s Jake Bermingham claimed the title with 1148.33 points, ahead of Spain’s Marc Silva Fores and Germany’s Lukas Ramsayer. France’s Arthur Genovese finished fourth, with Canada’s Daniel Meisenheimer the only non-European finalist in the top five.

In the Men’s Kayak Surface final, Great Britain achieved a one-two finish, with Ben Higson taking the win ahead of Harry Price. Poland’s Tomasz Czaplicki completed the podium, followed by Belgium’s Tom Dierick and Spain’s Joaquim Fontane I Maso. It was another full European final and an important result for Great Britain, which left Millau as one of the standout nations of the first World Cup.

Great Britain also led the way in Men’s Kayak Squirt, with Alex Edwards winning the final ahead of Germany’s Finn Kroessig and Mike Lochny. Norway’s Noah Pedersen placed fourth, while Canada’s Marc Richard completed the final in fifth.

For the host nation, the biggest celebration came in the Men’s Canoe Decked Surface final. France’s Tom Dolle, already one of the most important names in the discipline, delivered a home victory with 1316.67 points. Great Britain’s Harry Price finished second, while Jean-Yves Moustrou made it two French athletes on the podium by taking third place. Germany’s Sebastian Kurt Rudolf Nille and Ireland’s Eoghan Kelly completed another all-European top five.

Overall, the opening World Cup of the season confirmed Europe’s strength in canoe freestyle. Great Britain was the most successful nation in the finals, with victories from Ottilie Robinson-Shaw, Ben Higson and Alex Edwards, while France, Ireland and the United States also celebrated gold medals. Poland, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Norway all contributed to a strong European presence across the medal positions.

Millau also showed that Europe’s dominance is not only built around established champions. Alongside names such as Robinson-Shaw, Dolle, Price, Tula and Czaplicki, several junior athletes delivered podium performances, reinforcing the depth and future of European canoe freestyle.

With seven European victories from eight finals and almost complete control of the podiums, the first ICF Canoe Freestyle World Cup of 2026 was a clear statement from the continent. The season will now continue towards the second and final World Cup of the year, scheduled from 21 to 27 September.

Full results available here.