Hegge fishing for bronze at Olympic debut
Noah Hegge wins bronze in his Olympic debut in the new event of kayak cross, achieving the biggest success of his career. Teammate Elena Lilik couldn't quite keep up. For Ricarda Funk, the Games ended bitterly.
Noah Hegge screamed in joy and struck his kayak three times with his paddle. The 25-year-old surprisingly won bronze in the Olympic debut of kayak cross, finishing behind Olympic champion Finn Butcher from New Zealand and Britain's Joseph Clarke. The Augsburger had never placed better than sixth in an international individual competition before.
On the other hand, Elena Lilik narrowly missed out on another medal five days after her silver coup in the canoe. In the final, the 25-year-old finished fourth behind Australia's Noemie Fox, France's Angele Hug, and Britain's Kimberley Woods. Lilik had actually crossed the finish line as third but was penalized for an error at gate two.
There were tears again for Tokyo Olympic champion Ricarda Funk, who missed out on a medal in the slalom after a mistake at the penultimate gate. In her quarterfinal, she had a poor start and couldn't make up the deficit, colliding with Spain's Maialen Chourraut and receiving a point deduction for not correctly navigating a gate.
For Hegge, however, the day was sweet - fittingly so: Before fully focusing on canoe slalom, the current sports soldier trained as a pastry chef, which explains his love for coffee. "For me, the definition of a perfect cake is one that you can eat the whole thing because it's so light, airy, and delicious," Hegge said, laughing.
Since the home World Championships in Augsburg in 2022, Hegge has also been a fashion entrepreneur. "My siblings and I, we're three, we just wanted to promote our sport in a different way, push it forward, transfer it - with fashion. Not necessarily with a big face on it, but with a design," Hegge said, who often wears a wool hat, even in 30-degree Celsius weather. "The nice thing about Marino wool is that it cools you down a bit."
The Paris Games end for the German Canoe Association's (DKV) slalom team with two medals. In Tokyo, the slalom canoeists won a medal in all four competitions. The races of the sprint canoeists start on Tuesday.
In kayak cross, four starters simultaneously plunge into the water from a ramp. They then navigate through a course with various gates that must be circumvented and can be touched, and a special zone where a 360-degree roll is required. The first to reach the finish line wins the race.
Noah Hegge's bronze in kayak cross at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris marks a significant milestone in his career, surpassing his previous best finish of sixth place in an international individual competition.
Excitement builds as athletes prepare for their races at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, with events like kayak cross thrilling spectators with its unique challenges.
