Great Britain’s canoe slalom team are preparing to take on the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium in Australia.
The venue, which famously staged canoe slalom at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, is renowned for its powerful water and technically demanding features.
With its fast-flowing rapids and unforgiving gates, it promises a thrilling test as the world’s best athletes battle for the season’s ultimate prize.
Olympic medallist Kimberley Woods arrives in Penrith as one of the most in-form athletes in international canoe slalom. She delivered a remarkable double in Augsburg, winning gold in both kayak and canoe, before securing the overall World Cup titles in both disciplines.
Woods also impressed in kayak cross, finishing second overall after a consistent series. Her versatility and recent success make her a major contender across all three events.
Lois Leaver enjoyed a standout finish to her World Cup campaign, taking bronze in kayak at the Augsburg Final and securing second place overall.
She also excelled in kayak cross, winning gold in the individual time trials and bronze in the head-to-head, which contributed to her third-place overall finish in the standings. Still early in her senior career, she has quickly established herself as one of Britain’s brightest prospects.
Sam Leaver capped his World Cup season in style with silver in the kayak cross time trials before winning gold in the head-to-head event in Augsburg.
His consistent performances across the series secured him the title of overall kayak cross time trial champion, and he will be aiming to carry that winning momentum into the World Championships.
Jonny Dickson heads to Australia as the overall kayak cross series winner, thanks to his silver medal in Augsburg and consistent podium finishes throughout the year.
His explosive racing style has made him one of the most exciting competitors to watch, and he will be aiming to convert that form into a world title challenge.
Olympic Champion Joe Clarke continues to be a leading figure for the British team. The Tacen World Cup saw Clarke top the podium in the kayak cross time trials.
In Augsburg, he placed fifth in the kayak cross individual time trials, underlining his versatility across events.
Clarke also claimed a historic silver medal in kayak cross at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, adding to his Olympic K1 title from Rio. With his proven ability to perform on the biggest stages, he will be a strong and experienced contender once again in Penrith.
Ryan Westley remains a key figure in Britain’s men’s C1 line-up. He claimed gold in Pau during the World Cup series and was also part of the gold medal-winning C1 team at the European Championships alongside Adam Burgess and Luc Royle.
With his proven track record at world level, Westley will be targeting another major medal in Australia.
Adam Burgess, the Olympic silver medallist in C1 from Paris 2024, continues to underline his quality. He added to his medal collection this season with gold in the C1 short in Prague and C1 silver in La Seu at the opening World Cup.
Burgess will be aiming to bring that form into Penrith as he chases a world podium.
Nikita Setchell has shown her ability to mix it with the very best this season. She took a superb bronze medal in kayak cross at the World Cup in Tacen and also won team bronze in K1 at the European Championships in Ljubljana alongside Kimberley Woods and Lois Leaver.
Competing on Australian waters, Setchell will be looking to add another big result to her growing résumé.
Bethan Forrow enjoyed a strong World Cup season, reaching two C1 finals, including a ninth-place finish in Pau.
With her ability to deliver on the big stage, she will be aiming to carry that form into Penrith and push for another top performance.
Ellis Miller continued her development at senior level with a positive showing in Augsburg, where she reached the C1 semi-finals and finished 15th overall.
Penrith offers another valuable opportunity for Miller to test herself on the international stage and gain further championship experience.
Ben Haylett showed promising form during the World Cup series, narrowly missing out on a semi-final place in Augsburg.
Earlier in the season, he demonstrated his speed with a seventh-place finish in K1 at the Prague World Cup. Penrith provides another opportunity for him to test himself against the world’s best.
Competing at both senior and U23 level this year, Luc Royle has enjoyed a busy and successful season.
He was part of the C1 team gold medal at the European Championships alongside Burgess and Westley and reached the semi-finals in Augsburg, finishing 23rd. Penrith provides another chance for the rising talent to test himself against the sport’s elite.
“Heading into these world championships, we have got a good blend of experience and potential with Joe and Adam making their 10th World Championships,” says Performance Director Tom Duggan.
“Lois, Sam, and Luc are all making their senior World Championships debut as well.
“Over the course of the season it has been good to see the progress and momentum building within the team.
“We’ve seen some standout performances from athletes like Kim in the last two World Cups and some really promising consistency from some of the younger athletes across the whole season, so we are looking forward to seeing them take it on in Penrith.”
Racing begins on Monday 29 September with the kayak cross individual time trials. The action continues on Tuesday with the canoe heats and team finals, before the kayak heats and team finals on Wednesday.
The canoe semi-finals and finals take place on Thursday, followed by the kayak semi-finals and finals on Friday. The Championships then reach their climax on Saturday 4 October with the kayak cross competition.
All racing will be available to watch live on the Planet Canoe YouTube Channel for members.
You can also follow along with the live results free of charge.