# Alexander Slafkovský

Alexander Slafkovský (born 11 March 1983) is a former Slovak slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 1998 to 2023, specializing in the C1 event.
Slafkovský won 15 medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with ten golds (C1 team: 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019), five silvers (C1: 2013, 2017, 2021, 2022, C1 team: 2022) and one bronze (C1 team: 2021).
At the European Championships he won a total of 22 medals (12 golds, 7 silvers and 3 bronzes), including a silver in the C1 team event at the 2023 European Games in Kraków. Slafkovský also won the overall World Cup title in the C1 class in 2012, 2016 and 2018. He finished the 2017 season as the World No. 1 in the C1 event.
In spite of being one of the top C1 paddlers of his generation, he has never competed at the Olympic Games, where during his career only one boat per country has been allowed to race in each discipline. First he was denied qualification by Michal Martikán in 2004. Due to an injury sustained while skiing, he missed most of the 2007 season, which prevented him from competing for a spot at the 2008 Games. He lost to Martikán again in the internal fight for the 2012 games and then to Matej Beňuš in the three subsequent cycles (2016, 2020 and 2024).
Slafkovský announced his retirement from the sport in 2024.

## Personal life

His father, who is also named Alexander, is a former mayor of Liptovský Mikuláš and his second cousin Juraj Slafkovský is an ice hockey player.

## Career statistics
### Major championships results timeline

| Event | Event | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| World Championships | C1 | 35 | Not held | Not held | 39 | 25 | Not held | 12 | 16 | — | Not held | 10 | 5 | 12 |
| World Championships | C1 team | — | Not held | Not held | 4 | 1 | Not held | — | 4 | — | Not held | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| European Championships | C1 | Not held | 14 | Not held | — | Not held | 14 | 2 | 9 | — | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| European Championships | C1 team | Not held | — | Not held | 1 | Not held | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 8 | 1 | 4 |
| Event | Event | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| World Championships | C1 | Not held | 2 | 7 | 5 | Not held | 2 | 5 | 4 | Not held | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| World Championships | C1 team | Not held | 1 | 1 | 1 | Not held | 1 | 1 | 1 | Not held | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| European Championships | C1 | 4 | 20 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | 16 | 13 | 20 |
| European Championships | C1 team | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 4 | 2 |
* 1 2 2023 European Games

### World Cup individual podiums

| | | | | Total |
| C1 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 28 |
| Season | Date | Venue | Position | Event |
| 2004 | 23 May 2004 | La Seu d'Urgell | 3rd | C1 |
| 2005 | 26 June 2005 | Tacen | 2nd | C1 |
| 2008 | 16 March 2008 | Penrith | 3rd | C1 |
| 2008 | 29 June 2008 | Tacen | 2nd | C1 |
| 2009 | 28 June 2009 | Pau | 2nd | C1 |
| 2009 | 5 July 2009 | Bratislava | 2nd | C1 |
| 2010 | 19 June 2010 | Prague | 3rd | C1 |
| 2011 | 25 June 2011 | Tacen | 3rd | C1 |
| 2011 | 13 August 2011 | Prague | 1st | C1 |
| 2012 | 9 June 2012 | Cardiff | 3rd | C1 |
| 2012 | 16 June 2012 | Pau | 3rd | C1 |
| 2012 | 25 August 2012 | Prague | 2nd | C1 |
| 2012 | 1 September 2012 | Bratislava | 1st | C1 |
| 2013 | 29 June 2013 | Augsburg | 1st | C1 |
| 2014 | 2 August 2014 | La Seu d'Urgell | 1st | C1 |
| 2015 | 4 July 2015 | Liptovský Mikuláš | 2nd | C1 |
| 2016 | 11 June 2016 | La Seu d'Urgell | 1st | C1 |
| 2016 | 18 June 2016 | Pau | 1st | C1 |
| 2016 | 10 September 2016 | Tacen | 2nd | C1 |
| 2017 | 3 September 2017 | Ivrea | 2nd | C1 |
| 2017 | 10 September 2017 | La Seu d'Urgell | 2nd | C1 |
| 2018 | 23 June 2018 | Liptovský Mikuláš | 2nd | C1 |
| 2018 | 30 June 2018 | Kraków | 2nd | C1 |
| 2018 | 7 July 2018 | Augsburg | 2nd | C1 |
| 2018 | 1 September 2018 | Tacen | 2nd | C1 |
| 2019 | 29 June 2019 | Tacen | 3rd | C1 |
| 2019 | 31 August 2019 | Markkleeberg | 1st | C1 |
| 2022 | 26 June 2022 | Tacen | 1st | C1 |
    $^1$ European Championship counting for World Cup points
    $^2$ Oceania Championship counting for World Cup points