From Under 15s right through to seniors, athletes delivered committed, confident performances on the course, backed by an incredible team of coaches and a bank filled with cheering parents, teammates and supporters. It was a brilliant start to the championships and a real celebration of Welsh slalom talent.

Watching paddlers grow, improve and rise to the challenge at events like this is a privilege, and the day reflected exactly what makes our sport special; determination, teamwork and a shared love of being on the water.

Championship winners

Below are the category winners from day one of the championships.

K1 – Men

• U15: Tom Kearsley
• U16: Ilar Howell
• U17: Ilar Howell
• U18: Ilar Howell
• U23: Oli Cooper
• Senior: Eti Chappell

K1 – Women

• U15: Mali Davies
• U16: Mali Davies
• U17: Eiri O’Connor
• U18: Eiri O’Connor
• U23: Sadie Sterry
• Senior: Sadie Sterry

C1 – Men

• U15: Riley Wilford
• U16: Toby Sutcliffe
• U17: Toby Sutcliffe
• U18: Toby Sutcliffe
• U23: Toby Sutcliffe
• Senior: Toby Sutcliffe

C1 – Women

• U15: Isabel Booth
• U16: Isabel Booth
• U17: Robyn Taunt
• U18: Robyn Taunt
• U23: Sadie Sterry
• Senior: Sadie Sterry

A brilliant day for Welsh slalom

Alongside the racing, the event showcased the strength of the Welsh paddling community, with athletes supporting one another and coaches guiding paddlers through every run. The Welsh squad photo from the day captures not only some of the winners, but also the collective effort behind every performance on the water.

With such a strong opening day, the Welsh Canoe Slalom Championships are already shaping up to be a fantastic showcase of current talent and the exciting future of the sport in Wales.

Congratulations to all paddlers, paddlers’ families, coaches and volunteers involved.