Matyáš Novák is a Czech whitewater slalom paddler and kayak cross racer. At the European whitewater slalom championships in Ivrea, Italy, on 26 September 2026 he won kayak cross and became European champion.[1][3]
The 2026 European championships
In the afternoon kayak cross time trial he finished fourth, 0.82 seconds behind the winner. In the final he took the lead right after the first gate and won the race ahead of two Frenchmen.[1][2] The Czech team won seven medals at the championships, five of them in individual races.[1]
With the gold he improved on his bronze from the 2025 world championships and followed Vít Přindiš, who won the European title on the same course in Ivrea in 2021.[1] Novák praised the organisers for scheduling the knockout runs in the evening under artificial lighting and said that this is how every major race should be run.[1][2]
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 26 September 2026
- iDNES.cz — 26 September 2026
- Deník.cz — 26 September 2026