Yarisleidis Cirilo's Gold in Canoe Sprint World Championship

August 3, 2025

Yarisleidis Cirilo conquered the gold medal in the C1 200 meters event at the Junior and U-23 World Championship of Canoe Sprint, held in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal.

With a time of 47.26 seconds, the bronze medalist at Paris 2024 reaffirmed her excellent physical condition on the European waterway, dominating the competition with authority.

Cirilo was the only one to break the 48-second mark this Sunday, relegating Spanish competitor Viktoriia Yarchevska (48.08) and Russian competitor competing under neutral flag Ekaterina Shliapnikova (48.47) to second and third place, respectively.

The regatta was fast and high-level. Cirilo herself had clocked 45.88 seconds in the heats, in a championship that brought together more than 1,700 competitors from 66 countries.

The young Caribbean athlete was the only Cuban representative in the competition, competing exclusively in the U-23 age category and in the C1 200 meters distance.

Her performance consolidates her position as one of the great figures of world canoe sport, with an eye toward new challenges in the senior category.

Cirilo is entered in two events for the 2025 Milan World Championship, scheduled for August 20-24, 2025.

After her triumph, she, her coach Nelson Perales and the team physiotherapist will remain three weeks in Portugal before traveling to Italy.