Klaudia Zwolińska takes world championship bronze in C1, her second medal of the Oklahoma City worlds

Klaudia Zwolińska claimed the bronze medal in the women's C1 slalom at the 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Oklahoma City on Friday, finishing behind Tereza Kneblova of the Czech Republic and Monica Doria of Andorra. The result gave Poland its second medal of the championships after Michał Pasiut's silver in the men's K1 on Thursday.

The final run

The final proved a stern test after organisers set a tight course with low-hung gates. "They were very difficult races. The gates were set low, practically every one of us made mistakes," Zwolińska said afterwards. She clocked 103.21 seconds, just off the winning times. Kneblova took gold while Doria, the fastest semi-finalist, matched the Czech's mark to the hundredth.

All the more this bronze means a lot to me, because it shows I am maintaining a very high level. For four years I have returned from the biggest events with a medal and that gives me huge satisfaction.

A slow build through the rounds

Zwolińska, who normally specialises in K1, qualified only 16th in the heats. She improved markedly in the semi-final, placing sixth with a time of 101.76 to conserve energy for the decisive run. Her semi-final performance was nearly two seconds quicker than her eventual final time, reflecting how much the difficulty was raised for the medal race.

The semi-final shock

The semi-final delivered the biggest surprise of the competition when Australia's Jessica Fox, a two-time Olympic champion and four-time world champion in C1, failed to advance. Her elimination removed the overwhelming favourite and opened the podium to a wider field.

Poland's week so far

The 2025 Polish Sportsperson of the Year entered the championships as the defending world champion in both K1 and C1. Her title defence in K1 ended with a 10th-place finish on Thursday, a result she described as painful. "That world championship slipped away from me and I was really sad," she said. The C1 bronze softened that disappointment and extended her streak of medalling at every major championship since 2022.

All the time I am making progress, stabilising my form and drawing conclusions from every start. I thank my coach, the whole staff and everyone who helps me. This bronze medal tastes just as good to me today as gold.

Hanna Danek, the other Polish competitor in C1, placed 48th in the heats with 116.07 and did not advance. Competitors now turn to the kayak cross scheduled for Saturday.

Road to Los Angeles 2028

The Oklahoma City championships open the qualification cycle for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The same city will host the Olympic canoe slalom events in two years' time, though on a different course that is still under construction.