Lars Aaron Senoner during his European Championship appearance in France.

Lars Aaron Senoner with a good start to the European Championship

At the European Canoe Slalom Championships in Èpinal (France), Lars Aaron Senoner (17 years old) mastered his first task superbly.

August 05, 2026

From: pm

The slalom canoeist from SC Meran finished tenth in the U18 kayak singles qualification, thus qualifying for the semi-final of the 30 best kayak paddlers, which will take place on Friday in Èpinal.

The artificial canal of Èpinal presents slalom canoeists with significant challenges. The river course is characterized by two 180-degree bends, a very narrow course, and a steep gradient. As a result, the current is often unpredictable. Especially in team races, choosing the right line through the tight bends proves particularly difficult.

Lars Aaron Senoner was satisfied after the kayak single qualification: “I feel better every day and was able to implement what I had planned in today’s qualification. I paddled almost flawlessly. But I still need to step it up a notch for the semi-final. The field is very close up to 20th place.”

In the K1 team event, however, things didn't go as planned for Senoner. In a run with six gate touches, resulting in twelve penalty seconds added to their time, the Merano native, along with Marco Bacchin and Oliver Fina, had to settle for eighth place. At the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Krakow, Poland, the trio had finished eleventh in the K1 team event. "We couldn't find the right rhythm, incurred too many gate touches, and the result reflects that," Senoner lamented.

The Merano native will be paddling for a medal in the C1 team event on Thursday afternoon with Riccardo Pontarollo and Dennis Fina. The trio has already won two silver medals: at the 2025 U18 European Championships in Solkan, Slovenia, and at the U18 World Championships in Krakow, Poland, in July. Senoner will compete in the qualifying round of the C1 event in the morning.