Ādaži Canoe Slalom Champions Crowned on the Gauja–Baltezers Canal

Once again, the championships brought together both young and experienced paddlers, including several veteran competitors. The age range of participants was impressive – from athletes born in 1970 (pictured: Mārtiņš Onskulis) to the youngest competitor, Elza Pelīte from SK Atvars, born in 2016.

As in previous years, the Sprint King Cup attracted great interest from athletes, coaches, and spectators alike. In this exciting event, competitors had only one run to achieve their best result. The fastest, strongest, most accurate and composed paddlers were:

• MK1 (Men’s Kayak Single): Martins Macijausks (SK Atvars) – 26.52 s
• WK1 (Women’s Kayak Single): Dinija Ozola (Valmiera Sports School) – 34.17 s
• MC1 (Men’s Canoe Single): Aivars Eiduks (Brīvie Ūdeņi Club) – 35.16 s
• WC1 (Women’s Canoe Single): Linda Laidiņa (Ozolnieki Sports School) – 44.52 s

Congratulations to all Sprint King Cup winners!

The traditional canoe slalom competition was equally exciting. Aivars Eiduks and Dinija Ozola demonstrated outstanding performances, claiming victories in their respective events. In the men’s canoe category, Eiduks finished ahead of Maksims Zakrepskis (Ozolnieki Sports School) and Ingars Adamovičs (Riga Canoe Club). In the women’s kayak event, Dinija Ozola secured first place ahead of Linda Laidiņa (Ozolnieki Sports School) and Amēlija Kaulakalna (Ādaži Canoe Club), who finished second and third respectively.

In the women’s canoe (WC1) event, Dinija Ozola secured victory with two confident runs. Meanwhile, the men’s kayak (MK1) competition once again proved to be the most fiercely contested discipline. Klāvs Auznieks (SK Atvars) delivered an outstanding second run, breaking the one-minute barrier with a time of 59.77 seconds, finishing ahead of the experienced Martins Macijausks and Linards Laidiņš.

The Ādaži Canoe Club would like to express its sincere gratitude to the Municipality of Ādaži, the Latvian Canoe Association, and the event sponsors Eco Baltia, BALTA Insurance, Rocket Bean, Zaķumuižas Water, Cereta, and IBS Biroja Serviss for their invaluable support. Special thanks also go to Oro Pizza for providing delicious and energising pizzas for all participants.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the next competition organised by the Latvian Canoe Association – the 26th Aldis Kļaviņš Cup, taking place in Valmiera on 1 August.

Photo: Mārtiņš Onskulis – Ādaži Canoe Slalom Championships 2026.