At the heart of a complicated season, it was with a broad smile that Boris Neveu, 36, climbed onto the podium for his fourth individual world medal (not counting his two silver medals in 2017 and 2018 in extreme kayaking, not Olympic at the time), he who had left Tokyo last year with a disappointing seventh place in the Olympic final.
"It's a great bronze medal, I had a rather special season, I wasn't at the European Championships, I was a bit short on the World Cup stages. the World Championships, I could hardly have hoped for better", explained after his race the kayaker licensed in Bagnères de Bigorre, preceded by the Czech Vit Prindis and the Italian Giovanni De Gennaro.
Passed with extreme accuracy in the final, with the 10th and last qualifying time in the semi-final, 12/100th of the 11th eliminatory place, the Palois took out the round they needed at the best time, starting first of the final, which had already happened to him but which he does not necessarily appreciate.
- "It validates good things" -
"I have done more than ten World Championships, I have done a lot outside the finals, outside the medals. I know that you have to take what you can take, tear yourself away from it. Let's say the planets lined up nicely today," he added.
This podium comes two years, almost to the day, from the Olympic final of the Games in Paris, in the basin of Vaires-sur-Marne. Admittedly, Saturday's bronze has no influence on the future internal selection for the France team, but "it validates good things", slips the native of Lourdes.
Among the women, Camille Prigent had long hoped for a first individual world medal, but remained at the foot of the podium, fourth in a race won by the German Ricarda Funk, Olympic champion in Tokyo and now double world champion (2021 and 2022).
"It's still my best performance in seniors and I'm happy with the top of my sleeve. In addition, it was not easy to reach the final, so I have no regrets", explained the Rennaise, who let the medal escape him on a lower course.
The canoe finals, with the French side including Denis Gargaud and Marjorie Delassus, will take place on Sunday, as will extreme kayaking, which will enter the Olympic program in Paris in two years.
