, a 23-year-old kayaker from New Zealand, defended his title at in the Austrian Alps on Saturday. The event’s qualifying heats began on Friday with 140 of the world’s best paddlers. Saturday’s final saw 45 kayakers run the聽Wellerbr眉cke rapids, one of the in the world. Referred to as the “Eiger North Wall” of kayaking, Wellerbr眉cke features a class V to class VI rating and a 10 percent grade. The water was higher than in past years, creating a course so fast that nine of the top finalists ran the rapids in under a minute. Sutton completed the course in a record 55.84 seconds, edging out by more than two seconds. “I knew Mike had done a 58, but I just kept telling myself, ‘You can beat it…you can win,'”聽 Sutton said.
Read more at