Frederico Alvarenga and João Cunha, two strong canoeists, hit the water on Friday hoping for a spot in the K1 final. They were competing at the fourth Slalom World Cup, held in Tacen, Slovakia. Unfortunately, both athletes just missed out on qualifying for the main event, which continues until Sunday.
The competition was fierce, with only the top 12 paddlers earning a ticket to the final round. Alvarenga finished 29th out of 61 talented competitors. He clocked in at 78.24 seconds, placing him about three seconds shy of the qualifying mark. Cunha followed, landing in 40th place with a time of 82.91 seconds.
Italy’s Xabier Ferrazzi showed his class, posting the fastest time of the day at 72.25 seconds. For those keeping score, the final qualifying time needed to advance was a blistering 75.29 seconds.
But it’s not over yet for these two. Both athletes will get another shot at glory this Sunday in the kayak-cross event. They’ll be back on the water, ready to give it their all.