Szeged 2026 Results: Junior & U23 Canoe Sprint European Championships Recap
- Published
- 2026-07-27T11:32:37+00:00
Full competition results: ECA Junior & U23 Canoe Sprint European Championships - Szeged
Four days of racing on the Maty-ér course ended on Sunday with Hungary on top of the medal table of the ECA Junior & U23 Canoe Sprint European Championships — 11 gold, 10 silver and 4 bronze on home water in Szeged. Athletes competing as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) won 20 of the 42 titles on offer, racing outside the official country classification, while the tightest finish of the whole regatta belonged to Poland: Zofia Więcławska took the U23 K1 500 m crown by 0.04 seconds from an Olympic medallist.
Overview
The championships ran from 23 to 26 July 2026, with 754 athletes from 36 countries plus the neutral AIN delegations racing across 42 boat classes — 218 races in total. Saturday settled the ten 1000 m finals; Sunday packed a remarkable 32 finals into one closing day across the 500 m, 200 m and crew-boat classes.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hungary | 11 | 10 | 4 | 25 |
| 2 | Czechia | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 3 | Ukraine | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Germany | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 5 | Serbia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Medals won by AIN athletes — 20 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze — sit outside the official national ranking, as the neutral delegations are not classified among federations. They shaped the racing all the same: AIN crews swept all four women's C2 titles and took both junior and U23 gold in the men's K1 1000 m.
Fourteen federations left Szeged with at least one medal. Behind the top five, Poland collected seven (1-5-1), Spain eight without a single gold (0-2-6), and Türkiye four, three of them from one junior kayaker. The full nation-by-nation breakdown is in our separate Szeged 2026 medal table analysis.
Hungary's home-water statement
The hosts built their table lead where Hungarian sprint tradition always builds it: in the crew boats. Hungary won five of the six fours finals — all four K4 500 m titles plus the U23 mixed C4 — and only a 0.10-second German verdict in the junior mixed C4 kept them from a clean sweep of the big boats.
Balint Kollek was the individual face of that dominance. Three weeks after winning the U23 K1 1000 m world title, he took the U23 K1 500 m in 1:48.36, nearly a full second clear of the field, then returned within hours to stroke the U23 K4 to gold. Zalan Varga did the junior version of the same double: gold in the K2 1000 m with Oliver Kardos on Saturday, gold in the K4 on Sunday.
The one that got away stung all the more for being Hungarian-flavoured on both sides of the line. In the U23 women's K1 500 m, Sara Fojt — a double Olympic bronze medallist from Paris 2024 in the K2 and K4 — led the touch-screen margins battle against Więcławska and lost it by 0.04 seconds, 2:07.51 to 2:07.55. Fojt answered the only way available: an hour block later she led the Hungarian U23 K4 to gold in 1:40.37, with Więcławska's Polish quartet taking silver 1.58 seconds back.
Three weeks after Halifax: world champions under pressure
Szeged came just three weeks after the ICF Junior and U23 World Championships in Halifax, and the quick turnaround produced a brutal form check for the new world champions.
Rahmi Karahan arrived as junior K1 500 m world champion and left with three bronze medals — 200, 500 and 1000 m — making the Turkish junior the only athlete to reach the podium across all three individual kayak distances, without touching gold in any of them. In the 500 m he finished 1.57 seconds behind the winning time of Ivan Nekrasov (AIN), the standout junior of the week.
Adam Rudolf inverted his Halifax results with Czech precision. World champion over C1 500 m and world silver over 1000 m in early July, in Szeged he won the U23 C1 1000 m in 3:53.28 and took bronze over 500 m. His teammate Barbora Janotova was the rare world champion who defended her ground: gold in the junior K1 1000 m in 3:57.39, nearly two seconds clear, plus bronzes over 500 m and 200 m for a three-medal week.
The reversal hit hardest in the U23 women's K2 500 m. Weronika Marczewska and Martyna Jaskólska won the world title in Halifax; in Szeged they crossed 0.56 seconds behind the AIN duo of Darya Kliuchynskaya and Maryia Misiuchenka, settling for silver in 1:54.41.
Not every trajectory bent downwards. Ivanna Dyachenko of Ukraine turned a Halifax bronze — and a senior World Cup bronze from Brandenburg in May — into U23 K1 200 m gold in 42.91, the kind of season-long climb that usually announces a senior career. Ondrej Prochazka went further still: bronze and silver in Halifax, then double junior C1 gold in Szeged over 500 m (2:00.35) and 200 m (43.33).
Records and margins
The performance of the week came on Saturday, when Nekrasov won the junior K1 1000 m in 3:32.23 — a time the continental federation recorded as a European best for the class, and one that would have put him within 0.19 seconds of Dzianis Yermolenka (AIN), who won the U23 final over the same distance in 3:32.04. A day later Nekrasov added the junior 500 m title by more than a second.
Yermolenka finished the week as the most decorated male athlete — U23 gold in the K1 1000 m and K2 500 m, bronze in the K4 — while Anhelina Bardanouskaya (AIN) topped everyone with three golds in the women's U23 canoe: C1 500 m, C2 500 m and C2 200 m, the last two alongside Inna Nedelkina.
Three finals were decided by a tenth of a second or less. The closest was the junior women's C1 200 m, where Palina Sobal (AIN) edged Yelyzaveta Vozniuk of Ukraine by 0.03 — Vozniuk's second silver of the day behind the same rival, after the C1 500 m. Then came Więcławska's 0.04 verdict over Fojt, and the junior mixed C4, where Germany denied the hosts by 0.10 seconds. Anna Yurieva made it a Ukrainian double in the women's 200 m sprints, taking the junior title in 46.57 ahead of Hungary's Lara Bebok — Ukraine's two golds of the week both came from the fastest race in the programme.
Serbia provided the outsider story of the finals day: Zsofi Horvat won the junior women's K1 500 m in 2:08.14 and Strahinja Dragosavljevic the U23 men's K1 200 m in 37.57 — two golds from Serbia's only two podium appearances of the championships. Great Britain's two bronzes both carried the names of Tom Hatton and Samuel Dickson, juniors who backed up their K2 1000 m podium with another in the K4.
Every champion of Szeged 2026
Forty-two titles were decided on the Maty-ér. The full list of European champions, with winning times from the A-finals:
Junior classes
| Class | Champion | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| K1 Men 1000 m | Ivan Nekrasov | AIN | 3:32.23 |
| K1 Men 200 m | Aliaksei Dashchynski | AIN | 37.03 |
| K1 Men 500 m | Ivan Nekrasov | AIN | 1:47.80 |
| K1 Women 1000 m | Barbora Janotova | CZE | 3:57.39 |
| K1 Women 200 m | Anna Yurieva | UKR | 46.57 |
| K1 Women 500 m | Zsofi Horvat | SRB | 2:08.14 |
| K2 Men 1000 m | Zalan Varga, Oliver Kardos | HUN | 3:21.90 |
| K2 Men 500 m | Heorhi Varazhun, Artsiom Vaitseshyn | AIN | 1:39.07 |
| K2 Women 500 m | Bianka Hofer, Vivien Lesko | HUN | 1:51.41 |
| K4 Men 500 m | Zalan Varga, Zarand Lanczi, Levente Gyarmati, Kristof Uram | HUN | 1:26.69 |
| K4 Women 500 m | Panni Kadler, Lili Gazdag, Helka Nemeth, Nora Kalmar | HUN | 1:44.02 |
| C1 Men 1000 m | Aleksandr Mineev | AIN | 4:01.28 |
| C1 Men 200 m | Ondrej Prochazka | CZE | 43.33 |
| C1 Men 500 m | Ondrej Prochazka | CZE | 2:00.35 |
| C1 Women 200 m | Palina Sobal | AIN | 52.08 |
| C1 Women 500 m | Palina Sobal | AIN | 2:20.50 |
| C2 Men 1000 m | Emil Weber, Laurin Wendt | GER | 3:45.33 |
| C2 Men 500 m | Sevastsyan Savelyeu, Aliaksei Mahliui | AIN | 1:52.79 |
| C2 Women 200 m | Elizaveta Somova, Mariia Somova | AIN | 49.06 |
| C2 Women 500 m | Anastasiia Romaniuk, Daria Pochetnaia | AIN | 2:15.37 |
| C4 Mixed 500 m | Jonas Prehl, Mera Klapheck, Makar Pron, Lia Marder | GER | 1:52.79 |
U23 classes
| Class | Champion | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| K1 Men 1000 m | Dzianis Yermolenka | AIN | 3:32.04 |
| K1 Men 200 m | Strahinja Dragosavljevic | SRB | 37.57 |
| K1 Men 500 m | Balint Kollek | HUN | 1:48.36 |
| K1 Women 1000 m | Zita Bauer | HUN | 4:01.58 |
| K1 Women 200 m | Ivanna Dyachenko | UKR | 42.91 |
| K1 Women 500 m | Zofia Więcławska | POL | 2:07.51 |
| K2 Men 1000 m | Daniel Zemen, Adam Kaed | HUN | 3:11.54 |
| K2 Men 500 m | Dzianis Yermolenka, Ivan Bulyha | AIN | 1:36.33 |
| K2 Women 500 m | Darya Kliuchynskaya, Maryia Misiuchenka | AIN | 1:53.85 |
| K4 Men 500 m | Balint Kollek, Tamas Avar, Mate Juhasz, Adam Kaed | HUN | 1:25.78 |
| K4 Women 500 m | Sara Fojt, Aliz Gombas, Flora Tolgyesi, Hanna Peto | HUN | 1:40.37 |
| C1 Men 1000 m | Adam Rudolf | CZE | 3:53.28 |
| C1 Men 200 m | Andrei Zholabau | AIN | 42.03 |
| C1 Men 500 m | Matvei Arsenov | AIN | 1:56.51 |
| C1 Women 200 m | Panna Gyore | HUN | 50.47 |
| C1 Women 500 m | Anhelina Bardanouskaya | AIN | 2:23.44 |
| C2 Men 1000 m | Hleb Dziomin, Kanstantsin Rohau | AIN | 3:38.68 |
| C2 Men 500 m | Savelii Sidorov, Aleksandr Bots | AIN | 1:49.92 |
| C2 Women 200 m | Anhelina Bardanouskaya, Inna Nedelkina | AIN | 46.15 |
| C2 Women 500 m | Anhelina Bardanouskaya, Inna Nedelkina | AIN | 2:06.27 |
| C4 Mixed 500 m | Milan Meszaros, Imola Batka, Iringo Batka, Iliasz Mitropoulos | HUN | 1:46.12 |
Every result below the podium — B-finals, semifinals and heats included — is available race by race on the Szeged 2026 event page.
What's Next
The sprint season now pivots to the seniors: the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Poznań open on 26 August, on a course where several of Szeged's U23 medallists will be pushing for senior selection. For the winners in Szeged, the next continental test at junior and U23 level comes with the 2027 edition; the results from the Maty-ér — every heat, semifinal and final — are available on the event page.
For a class-by-class reference of every podium, see the companion piece: Szeged 2026 medal table and final standings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the most medals at the Szeged 2026 Junior & U23 European Championships?
Hungary topped the official medal table with 25 medals — 11 gold, 10 silver and 4 bronze. Among individuals, Anhelina Bardanouskaya (AIN) won the most golds with three, while Rahmi Karahan (Türkiye), Barbora Janotova (Czechia), Anastasia Insabella (Italy), Dzianis Yermolenka (AIN) and Inna Nedelkina (AIN) each collected three medals.
What was the closest race of the championships?
The junior women's C1 200 m, decided by 0.03 seconds between Palina Sobal (AIN) and Yelyzaveta Vozniuk (Ukraine). The U23 women's K1 500 m was a photo-finish too: Zofia Więcławska beat Sara Fojt by 0.04 seconds, 2:07.51 to 2:07.55.
How many countries won medals in Szeged?
Fourteen national federations reached the podium, led by Hungary, Czechia, Ukraine, Germany and Serbia. Medals won by AIN athletes — 20 gold, 10 silver, 12 bronze — are recorded outside the official country ranking.
Were the juniors faster than the U23 field?
Over the flagship K1 1000 m, nearly. Junior champion Ivan Nekrasov clocked 3:32.23 — recorded as a European best time for the junior class — just 0.19 seconds slower than U23 champion Dzianis Yermolenka's 3:32.04.
Did Hungary's crew boats decide the medal table?
Largely, yes. Five of Hungary's 11 golds came from the fours: all four K4 500 m titles plus the U23 mixed C4. Only Germany's 0.10-second win in the junior mixed C4 prevented a sweep of all six.
Was Szeged a setback for the new world champions from Halifax?
For several, measurably. Junior K1 500 m world champion Rahmi Karahan finished third, 1.57 seconds off gold; U23 K2 500 m world champions Weronika Marczewska and Martyna Jaskólska took silver, 0.56 back; C1 world champion Adam Rudolf swapped his distances, winning the 1000 m but dropping to bronze over 500 m. Barbora Janotova was the exception, converting her world 1000 m title into European gold by a 1.97-second margin.
Is Zofia Więcławska ready for the senior K1?
The data points that way. In one afternoon she beat Sara Fojt — a double Olympic bronze medallist from Paris 2024 — by 0.04 seconds in the K1 500 m, then added K4 silver with the Polish quartet. Poland's senior selection races for Poznań will say more.
Four days in Szeged produced 42 champions, one European best time and three finals settled within a tenth of a second — and confirmed that the gap between junior racing and the senior elite is narrowing fast. Zofia Więcławska beat an Olympic medallist at 500 m; the next chance to see how far that carries comes in Poznań at the end of August.
Sources: official race results and timing (Europe Canoe Events, Szeged 2026); Paddle Europe championship reports; ICF event calendar.