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Liam Jegou has become the first Irish paddler to win gold in canoe slalom at the World Cup after a brilliant performance in Pau on Sunday.
Jegou is based in the French city and trains regularly on the field, and he used all this experience to take the men’s C1 class thanks to a 100.35 second penalty-free run.
That was enough to pass Vaclav Chaloupka from the Czech Republic and Swiss Thomas Koechlin.
GOLD FOR IRELAND !!! 🥇🇮🇪 Liam Jegou wins the World Cup in Pau in a time of 100.35 seconds 🏁 A brilliant run in the final to take home Ireland’s first gold medal in category C1 🥇🚣 Such a fantastic performance from this young athlete 💪@sportireland @TeamIreland pic.twitter.com/wyWca3RSSo
– Canoeing Ireland (@CanoeingIreland) November 8, 2020
“I’m really over the moon,” Jegou told the official website of the International Canoe Federation.
“I have been working hard for several years, and all summer, preparing for events like this. So I am absolutely excited to have a great career like this in the seniors, it means a lot.
“I’m trying not to think about Tokyo, I’m trying to improve as an athlete and paddler, and whatever happens, happens.”
Clare’s man has already qualified for next summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.
Hannah Craig finished 13th in the K1 women’s race. Craig represented Ireland at the 2012 Olympics and still has hopes of reaching Japan.
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