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Tereza Kneblova is the new European women’s Kayak Cross champion after winning a dramatic night final in Ivrea.

The Czech athlete took gold ahead of Great Britain’s Mallory Franklin, with Klaudia Zwolinska of Poland completing the podium and Spain’s Leire Goni finishing fourth.

It was a fitting conclusion to an intense day of racing in which the field had been reduced from 32 athletes to just four finalists through heats, quarterfinals and semifinals.

And under the artificial lights of the Stadio della Canoa, the final produced one last major twist.

Kneblova finishes the job

Kneblova had been one of the most consistent athletes through the elimination phase.

She began the H2H competition by winning her opening heat ahead of Kimberley Woods and later progressed through a highly competitive quarterfinal before taking first place again in Semifinal 1.

That put her into the final alongside Zwolinska, Franklin and Goni.

When the decisive race arrived, Kneblova once again delivered.

The Czech paddler reached the finish first to secure the European title and complete an impressive final day in Ivrea.

Her victory also adds another major result to a Championships in which she had already taken bronze in C1.

Franklin recovers from major problem at the roll

Mallory Franklin’s silver medal came after one of the most dramatic moments of the final.

The British athlete encountered serious trouble at the roll section and was unable to turn the boat back immediately.

The mistake cost her significant time and appeared to leave her out of contention.

But Franklin recovered strongly through the second half of the race.

She fought her way back into the contest and ultimately managed to finish second, securing the European silver medal despite the time lost earlier in the run.

It was an impressive recovery in a format where a single mistake can usually end any medal hopes.

Franklin therefore leaves Ivrea with another major medal after already becoming European C1 champion earlier in the Championships.

Zwolinska adds another medal to an extraordinary Championships

Klaudia Zwolinska completed the podium in third.

The Polish athlete has been one of the most successful and versatile competitors of the entire Championships.

She won the European K1 title on Friday before taking silver in the Kayak Cross Individual competition on Saturday. Now she adds H2H bronze.

Her final position gives her a medal across three different events in Ivrea and underlines the consistency she has shown throughout the weekend.

Goni’s remarkable run ends in fourth

Leire Goni finished fourth, but her journey to the final was one of the stories of the evening.

The Spanish athlete had entered the elimination bracket as the 24th seed.

She then progressed from her opening heat before producing one of the shocks of the quarterfinals, winning a race that included Kneblova, Angele Hug and Kayak Cross Individual champion Kimberley Woods.

She followed that result by taking second in Semifinal 1 to earn her place in the final.

Fourth place therefore represents an outstanding progression through the bracket.

A final shaped by survival

The women’s H2H competition repeatedly demonstrated how little previous rankings matter once direct racing begins.

Kayak Cross Individual champion Kimberley Woods was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Reigning H2H World champion Alena Marx had already gone out in the opening heats.

Angele Hug, Lucia Pistoni, Camille Prigent and several other major names also saw their title challenges end before the final.

By the time the last four athletes reached the start line, the race had been reduced to Kneblova, Franklin, Zwolinska and Goni.

The official final classification confirmed:

Tereza Kneblova (CZE)
Mallory Franklin (GBR)
Klaudia Zwolinska (POL)
Leire Goni (ESP)

A European title under the lights

The women’s Kayak Cross final provided exactly the kind of spectacle expected from the first major championship night session under artificial lighting in Ivrea.

There was pressure.

There were mistakes.

There was recovery.

And ultimately, there was a new European champion.

Tereza Kneblova survived every round and delivered when it mattered most.

Franklin produced a remarkable recovery after losing valuable time at the roll.

Zwolinska added yet another medal to an outstanding Championships.

And Goni completed a remarkable run from 24th seed to European finalist.

Under the lights in Ivrea, Tereza Kneblova became the 2026 European women’s Kayak Cross champion.