The great hope of French kayaking Titouan Castryck, recent winner of the kayak slalom test event in the 2024 Olympic basin, was preferred to Boris Neveu, vice-world champion in kayak cross, in the first selection for the Games unveiled Thursday by the French Federation (FFCK). Camille Prigent, also a recent silver medalist at the Worlds in kayak cross, obtained selection in kayak slalom (K1) and cross, among women. Unsurprisingly, Nicolas Gestin, vice-world champion in canoe slalom, and Marjorie Delassus, were named in C1.
A second quota could be obtained by the French delegation in kayak cross during an Olympic qualifying tournament in Prague in June 2024, on condition of ranking among the first three. Tournament “for which Boris Neveu has, from now on, seen his participation identified”, specifies the FFCK in a press release. “We were faced with a difficult choice. In the French slalom team, we have serious problems with boats in terms of performance expectations,” national technical director Ludovic Royé explained to AFP. “We maintained our strategy, namely to maximize our medal potential in Paris 2024,” he said. Boris Neveu is leader in the discipline between his silver medal at the Worlds and his victory in the World Cup round in Vaires-sur-Marne, we are really confident in his ability to win the second quota in kayak cross.
