European Games | Hannes

I just came back from the 3rd European Games in Krakow, and I'm happy to share my impressions and experiences with you! While my sporting goals were clear to me, I didn't really know what to expect from this multi-sports event as it was the first time that canoe slalom was part of the European Games. Stepping onto the grand stage was something between a "normal" European championship and the Olympic Games.

For me, the international season started not bad, but since the 2nd World Cup in Prague, I was struggling with a strain on the abdominal muscles. It was a bit painful but still okay to race in World Cup 2 and 3 with that. However, it became worse just before we were heading to Krakow. When I wanted to start with the first training session in Krakow on Thursday when we arrived, I had to stop paddling after a couple of minutes and knew that I would not be able to race without skipping most of the training sessions.

In that situation, I was pretty lucky that this was a multi-sport event. The German NOC had a large staff team in Krakow, which also included several doctors and made quick medical treatment possible. After a couple of days' rest, I could go back to training carefully. Even though I was not able to do 7 out of 10 scheduled sessions, I was glad to be back on the water before the race.

The qualification runs and team races were a good way for me to get back up to competition speed. Unfortunately, we missed the podium in the team race, as we had one touch too many (like a couple of other teams). With my individual races, I was not 100% happy, but I think I have made the best out of the situation. I finished 12th in slalom, which is not bad, but not good enough for the final. In Kayak Cross, I finished in 17th position in time trials. This means I missed the top 16 to proceed to the heats phase, starting with the quarterfinals. Even though not everything went as well as I would have liked, I am satisfied with the first half of the season. Now, it's about preparing for the most important part of the season to be in good shape for the world championships in September.

Hannes

Images © Philipp Reichenbach