Romanian paddler Matei Barbu claimed the Men Open Sprint title at the 2026 Paddle Europe European SUP Championships, out-sprinting a strong international field in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, on 18 September.
The sprint races opened the three-day championships on Friday morning, with the first heats running from 8:45 am local time on the Cretan coast. Barbu crossed the line ahead of Lithuania's Vadim Korobov, Spain's Manuel Hoyuela Rojas, Denmark's Christian Andersen, and the Netherlands' Donato Freens.
A sprint specialist emerges in Crete
Barbu's victory stood apart from the longer-format results at the same championships.
The Romanian had already shown his range across formats. Two days after his sprint triumph, he placed 8th in the 14-kilometre Long Distance race in a time of 01:26:06.157, an event that doubled as the opening stage of the ICF World Cup held on the same waters.
Romanian presence on the rise
Barbu's European title was part of a broader Romanian showing in Crete. Gabriel Culea won the Men 50+ Sprint and Technical Race categories, while two junior paddlers placed in the Under-14 Long Distance race — signalling depth beyond a single standout performance.
