The third and final day at the Cunovo Slalom Course, Bratislava started with a dull drizzle but soon the sun broke through producing another sweltering day.
With eleven of the thirteen British boats on the start line for the semi finals another medal at the Championship seemed inevitable.
The day got off to a promising start seeing eight boats going through to final, unfortunately the 2008 European Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist Campbell Walsh was would not be seen in the final, due to a time loss in the extremely difficult final make or break section of the course where through the days racing saw many paddlers at the Championships come unstuck, including one of our K1W Louise Donington .
The first final of the afternoon was the C1W, Mallory Franklin went for Great Britain, the 16 year old from Windsor gave it her all but it wasn’t to be her day flipping near the bottom of the course and accruing 158 penalty points.
Next up for Great Britain was the C1M with all three qualifying into the final being first for Great Britain. Mark Proctor (21 years old) was up first for GB and in his first senior Championship, he showed finesse as he negotiated the course with skill and precision to take an early lead and eventually finishing 5th, Greg Pitt was also in his first Senior Championship Final and delivered a solid run finishing 7th. Olympic Silver Medallist David Florence was on a Medal winning run until he fell victim of the tricky last section collecting a 50 second penalty - finishing 9th .
World Silver Medallist Lizzie Neave and Olympian and World Cup Medallist Fiona Pennie were full of confidence going in to the final – it was at the bottom of the course that we saw their runs unravel as they failed to make the final eddy both being awarded 100 sections of penalties and putting them out of medal contention – they finished 9th and 10th.
Lizzie Neave comments on her performance:
“I am pretty disappointed; I was on a good run until the last two gates I lost my bows coming out of the second to last up resulting in me missing the last two gates.”
With a quick turn around and an re-focus David Florence joined his C2 partner Richard Hounslow for their final run of the Championships. The pair were to lead the C2 category off after only scrapping through to the final in 10th place, working in unison they moved through the course with control laying down at time to beat of 103.38. It was a waiting game for the crew as they watched the nine other boats in the final complete their runs. With only the Slovakian crew of the Hochschorner brothers three times Olympic Champions to come and Florence and Hounslow sitting in the Bronze medal position it seemed it might be a big ask for the pair to walk away with the Bronze medal, but the tough move at the bottom of the course proved fatal for the Hochschorners seeing their medal hopes on home territory fade away and Richard Hounslow and David Florence taking the European Bronze Medal - their first Championship Medal. Team mates Baillie and Stott European Bronze Medallist last year in Nottingham came down in a time of 103.92 going in just behind Florence and Hounslow, Baillie and Stott finished just outside the medals in 4th.
Rich Hounslow comments on the Bronze medal:
“It’s fantastic, absolutely fantastic, we were first boat down and had to wait for the other nine boats to come and we had to rely on the three time Olympic Champions to have a bit of a mare. Far play to David he had a hard time in his C1 and came back at it and we put down a solid run, there were mistakes in it but that’s the way of Bratislava.”
David Florence comment on the Bronze medal:
“Really really pleased to have won a medal in the C2, paddled really well until the last gate in C1 and was gutted to blow it; so to have turned it around and put in a good C2 run was something I am really proud of.”
Nick Smith C2 coach comments:
“I am really pleased for the C2 category as a whole, David and Richard just scrapped through to final in 10th but after video analysis and re assessing their run they found a good solution and came up with a really good plan and delivered it in the final which got them the Bronze medal.”
With two Bronze medals for the C2 category the European Championships come to an end next stop the World Championships in Tacen, Ljubljana.
Jurg Gotz Head Coach comments on the days racing:
“The conversion rate from heats to semi was spot on 13 to 11 and then the conversion rate of 11 – 8 in the final, there is obviously room for improvement with the conversion from finals to medals. There was dominance from Slovakia on home water, but to obtain 8 finals was great and we are not only depending on one boat they can all do it. It was a fantastic medal from the C2 and for David to come back after his disappointment in the C1 and perform so well shows class and Tim and Etienne finishing 4th show what depth we have in the C2 now. We are really on track going into the final four weeks towards the World Championships, the team is healthy and fit and looking forward to going back to Tacen, Ljubljana for the World Championship. “