Zsóka Csikós (right) in the final of the women’s 5,000-meter kayak singles event at the World Championships in Milan
Hungary’s canoe-kayak team wrapped up the 2025 World Championships in Milan in triumphant fashion, winning a total of 13 medals — six gold, two silver, and five bronze — to finish at the top of the medal table. The week-long competition ended on Sunday with exciting performances in the grueling 5,000-meter races.
On Sunday afternoon, the team members fought their way to two third places in the 5000-meter races. Unlike the European Championships in June, the longest distance races were this time interspersed with running sections, with competitors getting out of the water several times onto the pier in front of the stands, then getting back in with their boats in their hands and continuing on their way.
In the canoeing event, European champion Zsófia Csorba took the lead at the start of the six-lap race, but in the second lap she was caught up and then overtaken by Belarusian Volha Klimava, the 2019 and 2021 world champion. Csorba then fought a fierce battle for the silver medal with Canadian Katie Vincent, the winner in 2022 and 2023, but the overseas athlete overtook her in the final stretch, leaving the Hungarian canoeist, who had been undefeated so far this year, with the bronze medal.
“It was a very long week, I was starting to go crazy with everyone else competing. I am glad my day finally came, I finished the whole world championship in three hours and I feel that I was quite successful,” said the Hungarian competitor, who won the gold medal in the 500 meters with the quadruple sculls in the morning.
I am absolutely satisfied with the 5000 meters, I could not have done any better, I gave it my all. My goal was to win in the quadruple, and although our track was not the best, I’m glad we were able to be successful, which is encouraging for the future. This is my best year so far!”
In the men’s equivalent event, Sergei Tarnovski of Moldova and Jaime Duro of Spain battled for victory, while Balázs Adolf, who came third in the 1,000 meters, was part of a three-man chasing pack for a long time with Carlo Tacchini of Italy and defending champion Wiktor Glazunow. Approaching the final lap, however, he had trouble with one of the buoys, just as he did in June at the European Championships, losing time and leaving him with no chance of winning a medal. He ultimately finished fourth, with Tarnovski taking the gold medal.
Ádám Varga (L). Photo: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt
In the the men’s 500-meter kayak race in the morning, Ádám Varga was the Hungarian competitor. The Hungarian kayaker had no chance of winning, as defending champion Mads Pedersen of Denmark and Hamish Lovemore of South Africa, who also competed in the World Games, battled it out for the title, but he fought hard for the bronze medal. In this separate competition, his rivals were Fernando Pimenta of Portugal and Jon Vold of Norway, whom he beat in the end, thus securing third place. The gold medal went to Pedersen again.
I am happy with this third place, I was expecting to finish fifth or sixth,”
said the Hungarian kayaker. “I did not think I could beat Pimenta. I felt good at the end, so I thought I would do 200 meters as if it were a flatwater race. It worked, and I managed to get myself onto the podium. I still have room for improvement in the running part, as this was my first competitive race. But even so, I managed to achieve a good result.”
Both team captains were satisfied with the results of the World Championships in Milan, where the team won 13 medals: six gold, two silver, and five bronze.
Dávid Tóth, who coaches the kayakers, had expected eight to ten medals, including four gold, and the team delivered exactly that, winning four first places and two second and third places each.
Overall, the competitors performed very well, but the number could have been even higher,”
said the expert, who went on to say that it is no secret that he feels there is something missing in the women’s division. Regarding the future, the national team coach said: they are struggling with an embarrassment of riches, as they currently have very good competitors, backed up by an up-and-coming generation, and, he noted, “we must not forget Olympic champion Sándor Tótka, who took it easy this year but will be a force to be reckoned with next year and in the years to come.”
The captain of the canoeists, László Foltán Jr., had expected six podium finishes in advance, hoping that there would be a first place among them. The representatives of the discipline finished with two gold and three bronze medals. The two victories were delivered by the two quartets. “I secretly hoped that both teams would do well, and it was great to see them dominate the field with their confident racing. We have eight new world champions, which is a joy. It is also important because the young people who saw this on TV at home can feel that it is worth pushing themselves, that it can be done,” said the expert.
Next year’s World Championships will be held in Poznan, Poland.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt
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