World champions endorse new extreme slalom event
Olympic silver medallist Vavrinec Hradilek and German Caroline Trompeter are the first ever extreme slalom World Champions after clawing their way to victories on the final day of the 2017 ICF Canoe Slalom titles in Pau, France.
Hradilek, a K1 silver medallist at the London Olympics, beat Frenchman Boris Neveu and New Zealand’s Mike Dawson in the final to become the discipline’s first World Champion.

From left to Right: M. Dawson (Nzl), B. Neveu (Fra), Vavra Hradilek (Cze), Vit Prindis (Cze)©ICF/Balint Vekassy kayaksession.com
30-year-old Hradilek said the new event, which involves four athletes racing together in plastic boats down a modified slalom course, had a big future.
“I’m positive, and I really hope this is going to be every year at the World Championships,” he said.
“I think potentially it could become an Olympic event, not to change a slalom discipline, but to add it would be awesome.”
Trompeter shocked herself by winning the women’s gold medal in only her second extreme slalom event.
“I just felt at the start, go, go, go and then see what happens,” she said.


- TROMPETER Caroline (GER)
- SATILA Ana (BRA)
- HILGERTOVA Amalie (CZE)
- WEGMAN Martina (NED)
- HRADILEK Vavrinec (CZE)
- NEVEU Boris (FRA)
- DAWSON Mike (NZL)
- PRINDIS Vit (CZE)