Noah Hegge on the Augsburg ice channel

The Olympic bronze medalist from ParisNoah Hegge, a brilliant introduction to the German canoe slalom qualification has succeeded. The 26-year-old kayak specialist from Kanu Schwaben Augsburg won the first two of a total of three races on the Saturday Ice channel. In German qualifications, the slalom canoeists drive a place in the national team on two weekends -only in Augsburg and then in Markkleeberg near Leipzig. Three races per location must be completed, the four best count at the end. With two wins, Noah Hegge already has an « excellent starting point » for the remaining program, as he granted himself. On Sunday morning (from 9 a.m.) the third rating in the canoe slalom is pending on the ice channel, in the afternoon (from 2:45 p.m.) the time trials take place in the kayak cross.

Start of the canoe slalom season: Noah Hegge on his first day of the competition

The relief predominates, said a happy Noah Hegge after his first day of competition with a view of « The Wild last year », which is behind him. Because after the bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games in Kayak Cross There was a lot going on in his life. As a result, to complete a decent winter training and to focus again is not a matter of course. « After the Olympic Games, a huge destination breaks away. You also have a certain time in which you hang in the air and do not know how to proceed. Emotional and mentally. But I worked well and successfully with my team, » said Hegge. He had adapted a few things, changed the focus and, towards 2028 – the Olympic Games in Los Angeles – made a new long -term goal. « But the national qualification was now the first step. Because many things were new, I am very happy that I started so well. »

Two other local heroes also convinced in their boat classes: Ricarda Funk and Sideris Tasiaids. The Canadian driver of Kanu Schwaben Augsburg, who took fourth place at the Olympic Games in Pariswon both races on the ice channel as well as his Olympic colleague in kayak, one of the women, Ricarda Funk, who starts for KSV Bad Kreuznach, but has lived and trained in Fuggerstadt for many years.

Curiously, Tasiadis had more to fight in his first run, but drove a significantly faster time than in the second round in which he felt more comfortable. « I didn’t have to squat as much in the second run and actually thought that I’m faster. But I was very satisfied at the finish. » Ricarda Funk was also relieved to have done the start so well. « No matter how experienced you are and how many times you have done, the qualification is always nerve -wracking. After all, the whole season depends on it. » Because only those active who have a place in the national team after the qualification are also allowed to drive the major international competitions such as EM, World Cups and the World Cup in Australia in autumn.

Water deficiency in the ice channel makes it difficult for canoeists to prepare

The qualifying weekend in Augsburg was anything but easy for the 125 German canoeists and canoeists. Until Friday afternoon it was unclear which route would be paddled on. Because the Lech led too little water due to lack of rain, the competition route could not be flooded. Only a joint decision by the city of Augsburg, the responsible hydropower operator along the Lech to the Forggensee Wassersteichen, the German Canoe Association and Eiskanal GmbH, made it possible that the competitions could actually be held on the 1972 Olympic route. Until then, the active people had prepared on the youth route and a section of the old Olympic channel.

Not an optimal starting point, as Noah Hegge admitted. So he was happy that in the end it could be driven on the ice channel. « I am always happy when the channel is open. The challenge is different. You have to drive better on the ice channel, there are more things that you have to pay attention to, and the claim is higher, » says Hegge. Nevertheless, in this uncertain situation you had to find the right mindset for the start. After all, the water was only led into the canal on Saturday morning, a few hours before the competition and there was no more training times for anyone. « You had to note that the trip on the canal was in competition for the first time, » Hegge said. « Plus that the competition format has changed and every run counts. You have to weigh up in advance how much you go to the risk and where you try to get security, » Hegge described his considerations in advance.

Noah Hegge feels right in the ice channel

But once in the ice channel he immediately felt at home. « In the first race, I noticed that the entry went well. I drove out a little more securely below so that I did not throw the run away. In the second run it felt good again, then I drove more and the lines have made a little closer below. This was also seen in time, which I am very happy about. » Hegge was faster in the second run 0.75 seconds, with a term of 93.90 seconds he drove out to second place 1.68 seconds.

Canoe routine Sideris Tasiadis praises the new competition format

Also veteran Tasiadis, which otherwise has little upset, admitted that this start to the competitions was not an easier. « It has been difficult. I know how the waves come in the ice channel, but it is difficult to set yourself after tomorrow without having driven down beforehand, » said Tasiadis, but emphasized that he likes the new competition mode. « It is the same in the ski slalom. They come, slide down once and then it starts, » he added with a smile.

So it will also be on Sunday (from 9 a.m.) when all slalom canoeists compete for the third rating. In the afternoon, the Time Trials concluded the weekend for the qualification in kayak Cross – in the discipline in which Hegge won gold in Paris. The next weekend, May 3 and 4, the same competition program will be held in Markkleeberg. Then the final decision – not only in the performance class, but also in the U23 and U18 – is made over the places in the national teams.

German canoe slalom qualification performance class
K1 men, 1st rating run: 1. Noah Hegge (Kanu Schwaben Augsburg), 2nd Samuel Hegge (Kanu Schwaben Augsburg), 3rd Hannes Aigner (Augsburg Kajak Verein) 2. 1. Noah Hegge (KSA), 2. Stefan Hengst (Kr Hamm), 3rd Tim Bremer (KSt Rhein Ruhr), 4th Hannes Aigner (AKV)

K1 women 1. 1. Ricarda Funk (KSV Bad Kreuznach), 2nd Paulina Pirro (KSV Bad Kreuznach), 3rd Antonia Plochmann (SGV Nürnberg-Fürth) 2. 1. Ricarda Funk (KSV Bad Kreuznach), 2nd Emily Apel (Kanu Schwaben Augsburg), 3rd Antonia Plochmann (SGV Nuremberg-Fürth)

C1 men, 1st rating: 1. Sideris Tasiadis (Kanu Schwaben Augsburg), 2nd Lennard Tuchscherer (LKC Leipzig), 3rd Timo Trummer (KV Zeitz) 2. Sideris Tasiadis (Kanu Schwaben Augsburg), 2. Hannes Trummer (LKC Leipzig), 3rd Konrad Ginzel (LKC Leipzig)

C1 women, 1st rating: 1. Andrea Herzog, 2. Nele Bayn, 3rd Lucie Krech (all LKC Leipzig) 2. 1. Andrea Herzog, 2nd Nele Bayn, 3rd Kimberly Rappe (all LKC Leipzig)