Gabriel De Coster introduces himself to The ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup
Before Saturday, it seemed unlikely that many fans of canoe slalom had come across the name Gabriel De Coster of Belgium. He competed in the event.
However, now that he has won the gold medal at the ICF World Cup, everyone will recognize him. Gabriel De Coster triumphed in the men’s kayak canoe slalom final at the World Cup, which was one of the most unexpected competitions we have ever witnessed, and he was ecstatic to earn his very first World Cup gold.
The 21-year-old kayaker, whose best world cup performance was a 28th place finish in Prague this year, when he ended his race in the semifinal with a 50-second penalty, has achieved his greatest individual senior win to date. This is his first world cup medal.
He had a finish of one hundredth place in the 2022 Canoe Slalom World Championships, which were held in Augsburg. This was the final major senior international tournament before the Pau world cup.
On Saturday, the Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium underwent a complete transformation. As a consequence of his sixth-place finish in the semifinal, he advanced to the final, and it was obvious from the beginning that he would achieve his best individual performance in the senior category.
He completed his run without incurring any penalties and then waited for more experienced and distinguished runners, including medalists from the Olympic Games, world championships, and European championships, to complete theirs. It came as a big surprise to everyone as none of the other athletes who appeared to be stronger on paper were able to beat the time that Gabriel De Coster recorded in the final.
“First victory in the championship game. I feel incredible joy right now. I am aware that I am capable of moving quickly, but I had no idea that I could go so quickly “the Belgian kayaker claimed.
“I was aware that the time was competitive enough to earn a medal, but other competitors, like Jiri Prskavec, Martin Dougoud, and a great number of others, were still to come. We just don’t know, but it’s possible that it may go more quickly.”
The semi-final and the final both included gates that were set up in a way that some competitors thought to be particularly challenging. The newly crowned champion of the competition was unable to pinpoint his precise reaction to the news:
“The class was challenging, but at the same time it wasn’t too challenging. It was not difficult if you were able to utilize the water, but it was tough to really use the water. It was quite enjoyable to me. We didn’t have to put any effort into fighting against the water while it was in motion since it was on our side. I can’t express how grateful I am, “he remarked.
Gabriel De Coster was able to successfully pass through the gates at the bottom portion of the course, which appeared to be the part of the course that would decide today’s winner.
“In spite of the fact that I made a minor error in gate 19, I was incredibly quick in the combo of gates 19, 20, and 21. And during the final upstream portion, I had my nose pointed straight down, which meant that I had no choice but to sprint till the end.”
The gold medal won by Gabriel De Coster was not only the first one of its kind for him, but it was also the first one won by Belgium in the history of canoe slalom world cups.
“I had it in my brain; now that it’s done, all I want to do is strive to win another medal,” she said.
He was also successful in the 2020 edition of the Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom European Championships, which took place in Krakow. He earned the bronze medal in that competition.
“When I have a poor race, I try to focus on what I have accomplished in the past and what I am capable of doing. I don’t think about it when I’m standing at the starting line, but I take comfort in the fact that I have this medal “Gabriel De Coster stated.
Up until very recently, he collaborated on his training with the seasoned Italian coach Roberto Di Angelo; nevertheless, he is currently operating alone.
“We are still in touch with one another. We correspond frequently with one another by writing, and I also phone him on occasion “Gabriel De Coster remarked.
“Unfortunately, compared to the other countries, Belgium does not possess the same capacities as the other nations. I put in as much effort as I can, and I believe that it was successful today. I have some help.
Canoeing is not enough to support me on its own, but I have enough to get me through the season. There are just two of us athletes here. Although we do occasionally have the assistance of strangers, the most of the time we rely on our family.”
Gabriel De Coster Inspires him to become athlete
His mother, who was also active in the sport, was a major influence on him when Gabriel De Coster began his athletic career in wildwater canoeing, an area in which Belgium has a much larger heritage and has had considerably more success historically.
“I began with the downstream section at the very beginning. As soon as I gave slalom a go, I stopped doing wildwater canoeing and started concentrating only on slalom from that point on “he remarked.
What do you have in mind for the years to come? “My number one objective is to compete in future Olympics, and while I’m there, I want to add as many medals to my collection as possible.”
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