Canoeing-Kayaking: Two Périgourdins at the Downhill World Championships

The schedule will be busy for Marsac canoeist Mattéo Zanni and Castelnaud kayaker Emma Lacoste. Both selected for the Downhill World Championships in Slovenia, they will be looking to bring home medals in the Dordogne.

And the serious stuff will begin this Wednesday morning. The goal is to position himself well for the rest of the competition. Indeed, Mattéo Zanni will be on the water for the individual classic race. A discipline he enjoys, but the fun for the young man will start Friday morning during the sprint qualifiers. "I specialize in sprints," he explains. "My goal is to become U23 world champion or at least aim for a podium finish," adds Mattéo Zanni.

A millimeter-precise preparation

And he has the means to do so, as the Marsac native has trained hard to qualify. "I made the selections for the French national team at the beginning of May in Pau, and since then, I've been preparing for sprints with sessions focused on explosiveness, power, and speed." Enough to compete with others in his favorite discipline. Mattéo Zanni knows his opponents. They are mainly the Czechs, but also his own compatriots, who are with him in the French national team.

But his worst enemy will be himself. Matteo Zanni knows he'll have to give his all to reach the podium and, perhaps, return to the Dordogne with the gold medal around his neck.

And then, we'll also find Emma Lacoste from the Castelnaud club, who will be competing in kayaking. At 21, the young woman says she wants to have fun and come home with medals, having celebrated her first selection for the French senior team in May. Emma Lacoste is also familiar with the World Championships, having already won silver in the team event. Perhaps this time she'll want to win an individual medal. The answer will be revealed this Wednesday morning with the classic race.