Andorran Canoeist Mònica Doria Penalized, Eliminated from Kayak Cross at Worlds

Andorran canoeist Mònica Doria failed to advance past the time trials in the kayak cross event at the World Championships in Oklahoma after judges penalized her for an improper starting position.

The infraction occurred just before the start, when officials ruled that Doria's right hand did not cross the central plane of her canoe, remaining positioned to the right side. Although her paddle was correctly placed across the center of the boat, the hand positioning violated regulations. This dropped her from a provisional 36th place—based on her 59.01-second run—to 57th in the final standings, excluding her from the knockout rounds.

Doria navigated a challenging course, particularly after an underwater gate where the canal's current pushed her toward the wrong side of the next obstacle. Her time trailed the session's fastest mark by more than eight seconds, set by Slovakia's Zuzana Paňková.

Doria is scheduled to return to competition later on Monday in the kayak event, with her first heat starting at 17:16 Andorran time as she aims for a semifinal spot. The kayak cross disqualification echoes her experience at last year's European Championships in Paris, where a similar early exit preceded a canoe title win.