2015 ICF Classic Series ranking results

Tom Brennan (IRL). Foto: www.canoe.ie

The ICF marathon classic series are over for the current year with the dispute of the Shaoxing Canoe Marathon in China (site that will host the 2019 World Marathon Championships), so the global rankings of the World Series have determined the winners. After a quick look, you can already ser thta this formula is not established yet as it was conceived, although it is true that has opened a bit more the taste for travelling & competing (as we recently could check in the French Ardèche Marathon). But as usual, the big problem ...
is money, as it is within reach of very few competitors to be present in several of these races and also to do it with enough quality to score in the top thirty.

Anyway, apart from that, it is always an incentive to this type of overall points qualification and I am sure that more than one will try it on the coming years. To enter the points table you must have participated in at least two competitions in K1 within the 11 that make the calendar, although they differ from season to season. Total points will be the add of the three best races, should you have competed in four or more.

As expected, competitions like Drak Challenge (RSA), Avon Descent (AUS) and said Shaoxing Marathon (CHN) remain with almost no options for its participants, as it is very difficult for any of them to participate successfully in the other, European all of them and, therefore, at great cost to those overseas. That is why the points awarded in those races have finally gone into limbo and the podium has been decided entirely on the so-called old continent.

Sabine Eichenberger (SUI). Photo: www.swisscanoe.ch

Among those who have scored points in the overall standings we find well known names among marathon and river paddlers. Such is the case of the male winner, Tom Brennan (IRL), which was awarded the victory, and the corresponding 1,000 euros, after winning the individual race in no less than three of the great European classics: Liffey, Adige and Cesky Krumlov. The same three victories got the female winner, the specialist in white-water descent Sabine Eichenberger (SUI) [Author's note: name is misspelled in the league table, written as Eichenbriger, like that of the second classified, Pontoppidan is the correct spelling].

The following positions were for the veteran and multiple World and European medalist Tomas Jezek (CZE), a legend of Czech marathon, who got the second prize of 500 euros after his podiums in the Tour de Gudenaa and the Adige and the fourth spot at Swedish Dansland Marathon. In that race was third his teammate  Petr Mojžíšek (CZE), which added to his second place in the Cesky Krumlov gave him the third overall position and the corresponding € 300 prize.

In the women table, two good friends of Elite Kayak completed the podium after the Swiss Eichenberger. The second place went to Europe champion and World Marathon silver medalist Birgit Pontoppidan (DEN), who scored his points after her victory in the Tour de Gudenaa and her third place in Sella, enough to prevail by little margin over Stien Verlinden (BEL), single paddler to participate in four competitions, which allowed her to get the best points from Sella, Crestuma and Cesky Krumlov.

Complete ranking can be seen here.