Dickins captures para-canoe gold in European Championships

“I really feel proud to be the first gold medallist in the new KL3 category, and I’m really pleased that para-canoe now has a robust classification system moving forward.”

Para-canoe world champion Anne Dickins got things going for Great Britain, as she captured the first gold medal for her country at the European Canoe Sprint Seniors Championships on Friday (1 May) in Racice, Czech Republic.

The British went on to dominate the medal standings, winning six in total (four which were gold) as the para-canoe competition featuring 81 athletes concluded on Saturday.

Dickins powered through in the women’s KL3 200m final to cross the finish line in 53.544, about two seconds ahead of Romanian Mihaela Lulea.

Dickens was delighted with her win and some changes to the classification system for the sport.

“The team have been amazing in supporting us throughout everything and I felt very well prepared for my race,” Dickins said.

“I really feel proud to be the first gold medallist in the new KL3 category, and I’m really pleased that para-canoe now has a robust classification system moving forward.”

Martin Tweedie added to Great Britain’s medal count on Friday by taking bronze in the men’s VL3 200m, and the success carried over the next day.

Para-canoe world and European champions Jeanette Chippington and Emma Wiggs, together with Ian Marsden, 2014 worlds silver medallist and European champion, took to the waters on Saturday in their first international regatta of the 2015 season.

Chippington (57.044) and Marsden (52.844) paddled to gold in the KL1 women and KL1 men’s 200m, respectively. France’s Cindy Moreau ousted Wiggs by 0.896 seconds, winning the top prize in the KL2 women’s 200m.

Hungary also saw success over the weekend, bringing home three medals, two which were gold.

Robert Suba cruised to victory in the VL1 men’s, crossing the finish line in 1:03.395, about four seconds ahead of Andrea Pistritto of Italy. France’s Cyrille Hureau followed up with the bronze-medal finish.

Hungary’s Daniel Geri also won gold in the VL3, finishing in front of Russia’s Aleksei Egorov and Tweedie in 51.992.

Austria’s Markus Swoboda won the KL2 men’s in 42.520 seconds. Russia’s Victor Potanin followed up 2.144 seconds after, and Hungary’s Janos Bencze took the bronze in 47.704.