The III Trofeo ABANCA Ciutat de Palma de Piragüismo delivered the biggest and most ambitious Paddle Games in Palma so far, bringing some of the world’s best paddlers into the heart of the city for a spectacular day of racing beneath Palma Cathedral.

Five Elite titles were decided at the Parc de la Mar in a day that captured what Paddle Games is all about: world-class athletes, short and exciting racing, innovation, and a crowd able to experience our sport from just a few metres away.

In the women’s C1, Spain’s Antía Jácome claimed the title ahead of Hungary’s Ágnes Kiss, with Viktoriia Yarchevska completing the podium.

The men’s C1 provided one of the stories of the day. Joan Toni Moreno marked his return to international competition in the best possible way, becoming the first-ever winner of the new Paddle Games ELIMINATOR format. Pablo Graña took second place, with Manuel Fontán third.

The ELIMINATOR was one of the biggest innovations introduced in Palma this year. Developed together with the athletes, the concept is deliberately simple: paddlers race repeatedly, with the last athlete eliminated after each round until only four remain to contest the final.

Its first appearance showed just how exciting canoe racing can be when the format is simple to understand, relentless for the athletes and easy for spectators to follow. With very little recovery between rounds, every race mattered and every position counted.

In the women’s K1, Great Britain’s Emily Lewis produced an outstanding day of racing to take victory. Carolina García finished second, while Hungary’s Zsóka Csikós secured third place.

The men’s K1 title went to Olympic medallist Carlos Arévalo, with Portugal’s Messias Baptista taking silver and Alberto Llera completing the podium.

The Elite programme also featured the mixed K2, one of the formats that best represents the team element of Paddle Games. Nerea García and Álex Graneri raced to victory, ahead of Lluc Matas and Elena Ricchiero, with Portugal’s João Ribeiro and Sara Ouzande taking third.

Elite podiums

Women’s C1
🥇 Antía Jácome
🥈 Ágnes Kiss
🥉 Viktoriia Yarchevska

Men’s C1
🥇 Joan Toni Moreno
🥈 Pablo Graña
🥉 Manuel Fontán

Women’s K1
🥇 Emily Lewis
🥈 Carolina García
🥉 Zsóka Csikós

Men’s K1
🥇 Carlos Arévalo
🥈 Messias Baptista
🥉 Alberto Llera

Mixed K2
🥇 Nerea García & Álex Graneri
🥈 Lluc Matas & Elena Ricchiero
🥉 João Ribeiro & Sara Ouzande

There was also room for something completely different, and a lot of fun.

The Fantasy Race brought junior paddlers into the action alongside some of the Olympic and world-class athletes they normally watch and admire. For a few minutes, age, medals and international rankings didn’t really matter. They were simply paddlers sharing the same water, racing together and enjoying our sport.

It produced plenty of smiles, some surprisingly competitive racing and exactly the kind of connection Paddle Games wants to create. If we want the next generation to dream about where this sport can take them, there are few better ways than giving them the opportunity to race alongside their heroes.

Once again, the Parc de la Mar showed why it has become such a special home for Paddle Games. Elite international athletes raced in one of the most spectacular urban settings in our sport, just metres from spectators, in an environment designed around a simple idea: bring canoeing to the people rather than asking people to come and find canoeing.

The third edition continued the Paddle Games commitment to experimenting with new competition formats, embracing technology and finding new ways of presenting our sport. From the introduction of canoe and the ELIMINATOR to mixed racing and an increasingly immersive presentation of the competition, the objective remains the same: put the athletes at the centre and make racing exciting and engaging for the people watching it.

And, importantly, we will keep listening to the athletes. Some of the ideas tested in Palma were developed with them, and their feedback will continue to shape what Paddle Games becomes next.

The III Trofeo ABANCA Ciutat de Palma de Piragüismo was organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma and Paddle Games, with ABANCA and NELO as main sponsors and the support of the Govern de les Illes Balears, Ajuntament de Palma and Institut Municipal de l’Esport. The Real Federación Española de Piragüismo and Federació Balear de Piragüisme also collaborated in the event.

Congratulations to every paddler who raced in Palma, to our five Elite champions, and to all the people and organisations who helped create such a special day at the Parc de la Mar.

Three editions into the Ciutat de Palma Trophy, the ambition remains the same: keep experimenting, keep listening to the athletes and keep finding better ways to showcase our beautiful sport.

Palma showed again what can happen when we take canoeing out of the traditional competition environment and bring it into the heart of a city.

Follow all the results on our new APP developed by Memosoft.

RELIVE ALL THE ACTION from the live broadcast here.

The athletes are the heroes. The city is the stadium. And the Games keep growing.

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Photo credits: W. Fernandez