# 2021 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships – Men's K1

The Men's K1 at the 2021 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships took place on 23 and 25 September 2021 at the Čunovo Water Sports Centre in Bratislava. It was the 41st edition of the event, and 80 athletes from 36 nations competed.
The event was won by Boris Neveu of France, winning his second title, after he led a French one-two-three in 2014. Italian underdog Marcello Beda won silver in his first international final, while Joan Crespo matched his result from 2019 with bronze.

## Background

Czech Jiří Prskavec entered the event a clear favourite, as the reigning World Champion, Olympic Champion and World No. 1. The host nation Slovakia fielded Olympic silver medallist Jakub Grigar. Czech Vít Přindiš came into the event having won the last two World Cup rounds en route to the overall World Cup title, also winning the European Championships and the extreme overall World Cup title. World No. 3 Joe Clarke also entered as a favourite, and with something to prove after not qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. Andrej Málek was the last athlete to win a major ICF race on the Bratislava course, winning the second round of the 2019 World Cup, but he did not take part after retiring in 2020.

## Competition format

The Men's K1 event in canoe slalom uses a three-round format with heats, a semifinal and final. Athletes complete up to two runs in the heats. In the first heat, the 30 fastest men qualify automatically for the semifinal, whilst the rest complete another run in the repêchage second heat for a further 10 qualification positions. The final rank of non-qualifying athletes is determined by their second run score. Athletes start in the reverse order of their heats position in the semifinal and complete a single run, with the top 10 advancing to the final. The athlete with the best time in the single-run final is awarded gold.
Penalties of 2 or 50 seconds are incurred for infractions such as missing a gate, touching a gate, or not negotiating gates in numerical order. A team may request up to one review of a penalty per boat in the heats or semifinals phases, with no enquiries considered in the finals.

## Schedule

All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Thursday, 23 September 2021 |
| Thursday, 23 September 2021 | 10:03 | Heats Run 1 |
| Thursday, 23 September 2021 | 12:32 | Heats Run 2 |
| Saturday, 25 September 2021 |
| Saturday, 25 September 2021 | 10:08 | Semifinal |
| Saturday, 25 September 2021 | 12:40 | Final |

## Results

2014 World Champion Boris Neveu topped the first heat with a clean 82.14, a day after winning the Team world title, ahead of Czechs Vít Přindiš and Vavřinec Hradilek. Sergei Maimistov won the second heat representing the Russian Canoe Federation, 1.15 off Neveu's first run time. Joe Clarke and Slovak Martin Halčin were the two highest ranked athletes to miss out on the semifinal. With both Germans Noah Hegge and Stefan Hengst setting equal times of 85.95 in the first heats run to finish 30th, 41 athletes progressed to the semifinal. 34 of the 41 who progressed to the semifinal did so with a penalty-free run.
The semifinal was won by home favourite Jakub Grigar, with a time of 85.16, ahead of Hegge and Marcello Beda, both making their first World Championship final. After the nation won 4 of the last 6 World Championship titles in this event, no Czech athletes qualified for the final, making this the first final without Czech participation since 2014. By finishing 9th in the semifinal, Brazilian Pedro Gonçalves became the first South American to progress to the World Championships final in this event since Thomas Bersinger placed 4th in 2014. This also marked the first time since 1995 that all three German athletes made the final.
Neveu became the 2021 K1M World Champion with a clean run of 83.92, almost 4 seconds clear of silver medalist Beda, while Joan Crespo won bronze at a second consecutive World Championship. The standard in the final was such that 7 of the athletes would have won a medal, had they completed the course in the same time as their semifinal.
Penalties are included in the time shown. The fastest time in each round is shown in bold.
| Rank | Bib | Canoeist | Nation | Heats | Heats | Heats | Heats | Heats | Heats | Semifinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final | Final |
| Rank | Bib | Canoeist | Nation | Run 1 | Run 1 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 2 | Run 2 | | | Semifinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final | Final |
| Rank | Bib | Canoeist | Nation | Time | Pen. | Order | Time | Pen. | Order | Time | Pen. | Order | Time | Pen. | Order |
| | 6 | Boris Neveu | France | 82.14 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | 87.12 | 2 | 6 | 83.92 | 0 | 1 |
| | 33 | Marcello Beda | Italy | 85.74 | 0 | 27 | - | - | - | 86.82 | 0 | 3 | 87.75 | 0 | 2 |
| | 10 | Joan Crespo | Spain | 85.33 | 0 | 21 | - | - | - | 87.05 | 0 | 4 | 87.90 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 7 | Giovanni De Gennaro | Italy | 83.05 | 0 | 4 | - | - | - | 87.91 | 2 | 8 | 90.22 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 23 | Stefan Hengst | Germany | 85.95 | 2 | 30 | - | - | - | 88.66 | 2 | 10 | 90.68 | 2 | 5 |
| 6 | 30 | Noah Hegge | Germany | 85.95 | 0 | 30 | - | - | - | 86.25 | 0 | 2 | 91.18 | 4 | 6 |
| 7 | 12 | Jakub Grigar | Slovakia | 84.24 | 0 | 14 | - | - | - | 85.16 | 0 | 1 | 92.39 | 2 | 7 |
| 8 | 2 | Peter Kauzer | Slovenia | 83.20 | 0 | 5 | - | - | - | 87.47 | 4 | 7 | 136.10 | 52 | 8 |
| 9 | 5 | Hannes Aigner | Germany | 84.75 | 0 | 18 | - | - | - | 87.09 | 0 | 5 | 139.72 | 52 | 9 |
| 10 | 28 | Pedro Gonçalves | Brazil | 87.62 | 0 | 39 | 85.97 | 2 | 7 | 88.15 | 0 | 9 | 141.22 | 54 | 10 |
| 11 | 1 | Jiří Prskavec | Czech Republic | 84.87 | 0 | 19 | - | - | - | 88.71 | 0 | 11 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 12 | 9 | Mathieu Biazizzo | France | 86.57 | 2 | 34 | 86.67 | 0 | 9 | 88.81 | 2 | 12 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 13 | 22 | Pavel Eigel | RCF | 88.78 | 0 | 42 | 84.68 | 0 | 3 | 88.95 | 0 | 13 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 14 | 43 | Adam Gonšenica | Slovakia | 83.91 | 2 | 12 | - | - | - | 89.05 | 2 | 14 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 15 | 8 | Lucien Delfour | Australia | 85.38 | 2 | 22 | - | - | - | 89.07 | 2 | 15 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 16 | 21 | Niko Testen | Slovenia | 84.43 | 0 | 16 | - | - | - | 89.10 | 0 | 16 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 17 | 11 | Dariusz Popiela | Poland | 85.90 | 0 | 29 | - | - | - | 89.19 | 0 | 17 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 18 | 20 | Lukas Werro | Switzerland | 85.72 | 0 | 26 | - | - | - | 90.37 | 0 | 18 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 19 | 27 | Benjamin Renia | France | 83.23 | 0 | 6 | - | - | - | 91.19 | 4 | 19 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 20 | 37 | Erik Holmer | Sweden | 85.50 | 0 | 24 | - | - | - | 91.44 | 2 | 20 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 21 | 16 | David Llorente | Spain | 83.83 | 0 | 11 | - | - | - | 91.83 | 4 | 21 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 22 | 24 | Isak Öhrström | Sweden | 86.57 | 2 | 34 | 83.85 | 0 | 2 | 92.06 | 0 | 22 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 23 | 15 | Bradley Forbes-Cryans | Great Britain | 85.38 | 0 | 22 | - | - | - | 92.44 | 4 | 23 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 24 | 32 | Mario Leitner | Austria | 84.25 | 0 | 15 | - | - | - | 92.58 | 2 | 24 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 24 | 40 | Mathieu Desnos | Brazil | 141.44 | 50 | 73 | 85.38 | 0 | 6 | 92.58 | 6 | 24 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 26 | 17 | Michal Smolen | United States | 85.82 | 0 | 28 | - | - | - | 92.61 | 2 | 26 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 27 | 13 | Felix Oschmautz | Austria | 83.60 | 0 | 7 | - | - | - | 92.96 | 6 | 27 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 28 | 47 | Sergei Maimistov | RCF | 88.26 | 2 | 41 | 83.29 | 0 | 1 | 93.48 | 0 | 28 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 29 | 49 | Gabriel De Coster | Belgium | 84.73 | 2 | 17 | - | - | - | 93.78 | 2 | 29 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 30 | 39 | Gelindo Chiarello | Switzerland | 86.52 | 0 | 33 | 84.73 | 0 | 4 | 93.96 | 4 | 30 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 31 | 31 | Finn Butcher | New Zealand | 84.88 | 0 | 20 | - | - | - | 95.57 | 4 | 31 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 32 | 48 | Nikita Gubenko | RCF | 86.44 | 2 | 32 | 86.32 | 0 | 8 | 95.80 | 4 | 32 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 33 | 42 | Pau Echaniz | Spain | 83.78 | 0 | 10 | - | - | - | 98.27 | 8 | 33 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 34 | 36 | Christian De Dionigi | Italy | 87.03 | 2 | 37 | 84.82 | 0 | 5 | 99.52 | 6 | 34 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 35 | 14 | Martin Dougoud | Switzerland | 83.71 | 0 | 9 | - | - | - | 136.54 | 52 | 35 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 36 | 4 | Vít Přindiš | Czech Republic | 82.51 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | 136.74 | 50 | 36 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 37 | 25 | Christopher Bowers | Great Britain | 84.19 | 0 | 13 | - | - | - | 138.21 | 50 | 37 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 38 | 19 | Vavřinec Hradilek | Czech Republic | 82.85 | 0 | 3 | - | - | - | 139.35 | 52 | 38 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 39 | 26 | Martin Srabotnik | Slovenia | 85.55 | 0 | 25 | - | - | - | 139.37 | 52 | 39 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 40 | 41 | Rafał Polaczyk | Poland | 92.15 | 2 | 51 | 87.23 | 0 | 10 | 142.68 | 54 | 40 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 41 | 29 | Callum Gilbert | New Zealand | 83.60 | 0 | 7 | - | - | - | 154.51 | 56 | 41 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 42 | 34 | Krzysztof Majerczak | Poland | 141.86 | 50 | 74 | 87.74 | 0 | 11 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 43 | 18 | Martin Halčin | Slovakia | 90.64 | 0 | 46 | 87.97 | 2 | 12 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 44 | 52 | Alistair McCreery | Ireland | 91.40 | 0 | 50 | 88.21 | 0 | 13 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 45 | 59 | Jordan Sherman | United States | 90.78 | 0 | 47 | 88.48 | 0 | 14 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 46 | 44 | Fredrik Wahlén | Sweden | 89.18 | 0 | 45 | 88.82 | 0 | 15 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 47 | 3 | Joe Clarke | Great Britain | 86.71 | 2 | 36 | 90.11 | 0 | 16 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 48 | 70 | Djanibek Temirgaliev | Uzbekistan | 91.04 | 0 | 48 | 90.29 | 0 | 17 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 49 | 35 | Kazuya Adachi | Japan | 87.22 | 2 | 38 | 91.61 | 0 | 18 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 50 | 58 | Kaelin Friedenson | United States | 96.17 | 6 | 53 | 92.16 | 0 | 19 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 51 | 53 | Trevor Boyd | Canada | 99.98 | 6 | 60 | 92.39 | 0 | 20 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 52 | 45 | Guilherme Rodrigues | Brazil | 89.13 | 0 | 44 | 93.11 | 2 | 21 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 53 | 50 | Martin Stanovsky | Kazakhstan | 96.94 | 2 | 55 | 95.93 | 2 | 22 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 54 | 51 | Yusuke Muto | Japan | 87.73 | 0 | 40 | 96.25 | 6 | 23 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 55 | 60 | Angel Petrushev | North Macedonia | 97.05 | 2 | 56 | 96.47 | 2 | 24 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 56 | 63 | Milos Jevtic | Serbia | 103.72 | 2 | 63 | 96.48 | 2 | 25 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 57 | 62 | Moritz Kremslehner | Austria | 94.58 | 2 | 52 | 96.84 | 0 | 26 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 58 | 46 | Zack Mutton | New Zealand | 88.82 | 0 | 43 | 97.33 | 2 | 27 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 59 | 71 | Barkamol Mirzakhamdamov | Uzbekistan | 96.88 | 2 | 54 | 99.73 | 2 | 28 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 60 | 55 | Mael Rivard | Canada | 103.99 | 2 | 64 | 101.33 | 0 | 29 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 61 | 77 | Niek Hendriks | Netherlands | 99.02 | 4 | 58 | 102.20 | 4 | 30 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 62 | 76 | Donovan Wewege | South Africa | 130.84 | 2 | 71 | 102.66 | 2 | 31 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 63 | 66 | Ognjen Dimitrijevic | Serbia | 165.87 | 56 | 78 | 102.71 | 0 | 32 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 64 | 78 | Martins Plaudis | Latvia | 114.96 | 4 | 66 | 103.99 | 0 | 33 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 65 | 64 | Nour Ait Kaddour | Morocco | 99.91 | 2 | 59 | 105.99 | 6 | 34 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 66 | 67 | Marko Dordevic | Serbia | 98.59 | 2 | 57 | 110.25 | 0 | 35 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 67 | 61 | Gustas Malakauskas | Lithuania | 103.12 | 4 | 61 | 110.57 | 0 | 36 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 68 | 56 | Jean-Benoit Lemay | Canada | 148.48 | 52 | 75 | 110.99 | 8 | 37 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 69 | 75 | Vejas Pranskunas | Lithuania | 121.38 | 6 | 69 | 115.14 | 6 | 38 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 70 | 54 | Andraz Echeverria Olguin | Chile | 103.70 | 6 | 62 | 124.87 | 2 | 39 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 71 | 69 | Ricardo Fentanes | Mexico | 132.83 | 6 | 72 | 129.01 | 4 | 40 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 72 | 79 | Patrick Kozma | Romania | 358.59 | 204 | 79 | 129.05 | 4 | 41 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 73 | 38 | Igor Tsviet | Ukraine | 91.21 | 2 | 49 | 135.47 | 50 | 42 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 74 | 74 | Alexandr Voroshilov | Uzbekistan | 104.80 | 0 | 65 | 156.68 | 52 | 43 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 75 | 72 | Samuel Muturi | Kenya | 118.74 | 4 | 67 | 162.87 | 2 | 44 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 76 | 57 | Jun Yi Ong | Singapore | 120.84 | 8 | 68 | 168.30 | 54 | 45 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 77 | 80 | Matteo-Alexander Olar | Romania | 122.56 | 8 | 70 | 170.97 | 4 | 46 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 78 | 68 | Ignacio Bakovic | Chile | 158.86 | 52 | 77 | 205.64 | 100 | 47 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 79 | 65 | Vilius Rasimavicius | Lithuania | 155.76 | 56 | 76 | 211.65 | 106 | 48 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |
| 80 | 73 | Levis Peter Karanja | Kenya | 611.85 | 514 | 80 | 542.62 | 458 | 49 | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance | did not advance |