The three-day-long ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships event on Lake Bagsvaerd showed to be a major sporting success for the Danish marathon team, and, at the same time, a major success for Denmark as the host at an international championship counting 400 athletes from 37 nations.
Considering the sporting part, Denmark won two gold medals, one in the women’s K2 and one in the men juniors’ K2. Furthermore, there was a bronze medal in the women junors’ K2.
– We had hoped for one medal for our juniors, so a gold medal and one of bronze show that we have many promising talents amongst the youngsters in our sport, says Ole Tikjøb, Chairman of Danish Canoe Federation.
– Casper Pretzmann og Morten Graversen fromSilkeborg Kajakklub became junior world champions while Rikke Jørgensen and Emilie Petersen from Maribo Kajakklub took the bronze medals in the junior women’s race.
In the seniors’ race, the ’sprint king’, René Holten Poulsen came to start in order to test himself against the marathon specialists, and he fought himself to a very good position as number six. It got even more impressive on the last day, Sunday, where the triple gold medallist in K2, Henriette Engel from 361 Kano og Kajakklub, paddled her way to her fourth World champion title, cheered by the shouting and applause from thousands of spectators. For her partner, Jeanette Løvborg from Silkeborg Kajakklub, it was the first time to stand on the top of the podium. She has at an earlier championships event won a silver medal.
– We saw many exiting races during these three days and it was a joy to feel the atmosphere from an enthusiastic audience. It is many years ago that I have experienced such exciting races and such enthusiasm from the audience. Especially during René Holten Poulsen’s race and the women’s K2 race there was an immense support to our athletes. It was great and it was touching, says Ole Tikjøb.
As a host and organizer the Danish Canoe Federation has been praised by many people, both for the organizational running of the event and for Lake Bagsvaerd as event area.
– Several of our international guests have praised our event and have called it the best World Championships ever. That fills me with joy, not only on behalf of the sport and of Denmark, but also on behalf of several hundred volunteers who have worked very hard to make this event possible. They are especially the ones to be praised, says Ole Tikjøb.
The Danish Canoe Federation arranged the World Championship event in cooperation with the ICF, the municipalities of Gladsaxe and Lyngby-Taarbaek, Wonderful Copenhagen and Sport Event Denmark. The latter has supported this event’s sustainability theme focusing on sorting of waste, recycling, careful transportation and other green initiatives. After this, the experiences will be gathered and shared.
– It’s been a rose garden. Gold medals today in the women’s K2 race and lots of green initiatives at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships. Internationally, there is focus on sustainability. In general, Demark is in the front group when it comes to green initiatives. Therefore we look forward to sharing our green experiences from this event with our co-organizers in Denmark and with the international sports world. It will set the focus on green sports events in Denmark in the future and tell the story about Denmark who deliberately choses environment and sustainability, says Lars Lundov, CEO, of Sport Event Denmark.
The World Championship event finished Sunday with the men’s K2 race where René Holten Poulsen and Martin Larsen from Sorø Kajakklub finished as the best Danish boat coming in as number 8.