Valmiera Championship Cup of Gauja

The event began with qualification runs, where participants aimed to qualify for the finals. To make things more interesting, the organizers significantly reduced the number of spots in the finals. As a result, the competition was fierce. Several leaders in both boat classes, already thinking about the finals, made mistakes in the first run and failed to qualify immediately. The results were very close, with only hundredths of a second separating some competitors from the finals.

The second run was decisive for those not yet qualified, offering a chance to make it to the finals, where the number of spots was even fewer. For others, it was a battle for a place in their age group. The second run did not disappoint, as competitors showed very close results, and only those who managed nearly flawless runs secured their place in the finals. In the youth age groups, the youngest participants experienced both the joy of victory and the disappointment of unsuccessful runs, but that’s sports.

In the finals, the organizers made changes to the course, requiring higher precision in boat handling and more strength. After catching their breath and cooling off, the athletes headed to the start.The finals began with the men’s C1 boat class. The young athletes made mistakes and accumulated penalty points, leaving the competition in the hands of the experienced athletes – Aivars Eiduks, an athlete from open waters, versus local Valmiera native Krišs Ozols. Aivars had a fast run with minor snags in some parts of the course. Then Krišs went on the course – with 2 penalty seconds already at the second gate, he had to increase his speed and give it his all. In the end, Krišs was faster by only 0.64 seconds, with third place going to young Riga athlete Vintcents Saulītis.

Next were the K1 women. One of the first run’s unfortunate participants, Dinija Ozola (Valmiera Sports School), who qualified for the finals only in the second run, set the bar. A few experienced athletes who started after her couldn’t surpass it, but Dinija’s run had mistakes, and soon it was surpassed, resulting in a 3rd place finish. Dinija was overtaken by Estonian athlete Marie Peiker, and the leader status was confirmed by Elizabete Kurvina from Liepāja.

The highlight was the K1 men’s finals. Valmiera’s Bruno Emīls Geidāns, who barely made it to the finals, started with a stable run, albeit not the fastest. Surprisingly, Bruno held the top spot for a long time as competitors from Estonia, Liepāja, and Ozolnieki, one after another, succumbed to the pressure and made small mistakes. Bruno did not stay in the lead for long, however. The season leader so far, Tarmo Peiker, set a new benchmark. The last three to start were all from Valmiera. Renārs Freijs (Valmiera Sports School) had an almost flawless run, pushing the season leader to second place. Next was Renārs’ teammate Mārtiņš Šteinbergs, who had a fast run but penalty seconds temporarily placed him in third. The last Valmiera athlete to start was the experienced Māris Bečers (Straume). His fast run time, but with penalty points and small mistakes, allowed Renārs to take the top podium spot by a mere 0.37 seconds.

In the women’s C1 boat class, the undefeated Estonian athlete Marie Peiker reigned supreme.

The hot day concluded with an awards ceremony where supporters brought surprises, and the wonderful day of competition came to an end.

All of the event photos are available here:

https://failiem.lv/LatvijasKanoeAsociacija/u/7axc4pubmq

All of the results are available here:

https://www.canoelatvia.lv/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024_05_26_Valmieras_cempionats-GAUJAS-KAUSS-2024_REZULTATI-1.pdf