In the canoe, which he has been practicing for less than two years, Prskavec, just like on Saturday, surpassed all the specialists. Although the judges gave him an additional two-second penalty for touching the fourth gate, he won by 0.46 seconds ahead of Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Lukáš Rohan. Combined with the second place in the initial nomination race in Trnávka, it secured him the first place in the entire nomination evaluation.
He will be joined by Rohan and Václav Chaloupka in the team for top events. In the end, the winner of the second race in Trnávka, Martin Kratochvíl, who finished eighth today, did not qualify.
At the end of the program, Prskavec won the kayak nomination race for the first time, where thanks to last year’s triumph at the EC, he was sure of a place in the team. “I’m running out of strength. I don’t know the conditions I had here in Troja after kayaking, it wasn’t pleasant,” said Prskavec in a recording for the media. He left Vavřinec Hradilk behind by more than a second and a half, who finished second at the end of the unsuccessful fight for the national team.
At international events, the canoeist and kayaker categories are run on different days, so it might not be that difficult for him. Squirrel himself is curious to see how he will do. “As a singles player, I was able to beat a world champion and an Olympic medalist, I would like to have a chance somewhere,” noted Prskavec.
The 2021 world champion Chaloupka had nothing but words of admiration for him. “In my eyes, it just confirmed that he is the best water slalomer I’ve ever seen. We have a lot to learn from him,” he said.
Photo: Luboš Pavlíček, CTK
An unusual picture, Jiří Prskavec among the canoeists.
In the team of kayakers, Amálie Hilgertová and Antonie Galušková joined Fišerová in the representative team. European champion from 2019 Hilgertová is in the national team for the first time since 2020. She secured her place with today’s second place. “I still don’t believe it a bit. As I haven’t been in rep for the last two years, it was a very distant feeling for me to be in the national team. But at the same time, I knew I had what it takes. I’m very happy that I managed to sell it “, she praised herself.
The World Cup will start at the beginning of June in Augsburg, from June 8 to 11 the WC will take place in Troy.