Great Britain celebrated a gold medal double as the 2025 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships got under way in Hungary.
Buoyed by a fine European Championships in June, a confident British squad brought this momentum into a busy opening day of 3.6k short distance heats and finals in Gyor.
Will Short turned in a stunning performance to win Britain’s first-ever junior men’s short course gold.
And with official Paracanoe world titles contested for the first time here, Jeanette Chippington became Britain’s first-ever official Paracanoe marathon world champion with a dominant performance in the women’s 6km KL1 race.
Both newly-crowned European short course champion Short and team-mate Will Roeser had their problems in the junior men’s K1 heats before qualifying in sixth and 10th, respectively.
Short had his work cut out after another poor start in the final, but quickly battled back, moving up to third behind Merse Molnar, of Hungary, and French paddler Orlan Coattrieux after the first portage as the trio opened a gap.
The Elmbridge paddler then accelerated away on his own from the second portage and didn’t let up, creating clear daylight by the end of lap two.
He would cross the line more than six seconds clear of Molnar in a rapid 14:28.93, with Roeser (15:24.34), 15th on his international debut.
“I didn’t really get out of the start which is what I was focussing on, but after that it couldn’t really have gone any better,” he said.
“I got third or fourth into the first portage and then gradually made my way further up the group. I pulled hard to the end and it worked out very nicely for me.
He added: “I’ve been thinking about this a lot. This is the big one for me, and one of my first chances to be right
at the top end of a race, so it means a lot.”
Short has further chances to add more medals to his magnificent season when he tackles the long course this weekend in the K1 and then K2 with Alex Worgan.
“I was quite nervous to begin with because there were a few unknown boys out there racing,” he said.
“But now I know what they’re bringing to the race so I’m looking forward to Saturday and Sunday.”
Chippington, a multiple Paralympic swimming champion before switching to the kayak, scorched home in 35:03.53, finishing almost six minutes clear of her closest challenger.
“To be world champion at one of the first medal world championships is just incredible,” she said.
“Marathon has been such a big learning curve. I was always going to go for marathon this year, but then I thought I would go for sprint as well, so I’ve been very fortunate to have medalled in both events. It’s been a great year.”
Moments later Shaun Cook claimed Britain’s second Paracanoe medal of the championships with bronze in the men’s VL2.
With the front two having gone clear over the 10km course, Cook became locked in a close-fought battle for the remaining medal with Spanish paddler Antonio Gomez.
After more than an hour of racing, just 10 seconds separated the pair as the Norwich Canoe Club paddler held on for third in 1:02:07.76.
European KL2 men’s champion Jon White (Exeter Canoe Club) crossed the line fourth in the open paracanoe 10km race – classed as an exhibition event after covering the 10k course in 53:59.47.
The Exeter Canoe Club paddler won a gold medal in the physical impairment open class.
And Charlotte Creamer (Leighton Buzzard) came home in fourth place in the women’s KL3, completing the 6k course in 36:14.84.
First out for the Brits on day one were Kamila Sklenarova and Dianora De Bilio who eased through their early-morning heats to make the junior women’s K1 final.
Under 16s paddler De Bilio – one of the youngest competitors – twice finished just outside the medals at the European Championships and made a blistering start to the final, reaching the turn in second.
Despite a collision with Italian Cecilia Abascia, the Royal Canoe Club paddler remained in contention after the third and final portage.
De Bilio eventually crossed the line in 16:41.13 for a brilliant fourth place, just six seconds behind bronze medallist Janka Reiss, with Sklenarova securing ninth in 16:54.39.
“I’m just really excited for next year and the year after,” said De Bilio.
“I’ve also got long course tomorrow and the K2 with Kamila which is really exciting as well.”
James Russell got himself into an early four-man break in the senior men’s K1 heats and cruised to qualification in second.
Team-mate Charles Smith, still on the recovery trail from a shoulder injury, fell back from a good start to finish 13th, missing out on the final with 14:56.54.
A hectic start to the final saw European short-course silver medallist Russell down in eighth and he found himself in a group of five trying to claw back a breakaway group of Portuguese paddlers Fernando Pimenta and Jose Ramahlo, and European champion Mads Pedersen.
But there was no catching the trio, as Pimenta took gold, with Russell (14:19.65) crossing the line in 11th.
Beth Gill got away well in the senior women’s C1 final, reaching the turn in second.
The Nottingham-based paddler has had injury to contend with this season and slipped back, but produced a solid race to earn a good sixth-place finish in a time of 19:19.10.
Owen Chisholm (Richmond) eased into the senior men’s C1 final with eighth place in the heats, and went on to finish 15th in 17:47.12.
And Jessica Urquhart narrowly missed the senior women’s K1 final after posting 17:33.52 for 11th place in her heat.