Words by Nick Boreham
The British team have kicked off the Wildwater 2025 World Cups in spectacular style with a silver and a bronze in the classic race.
The first set of world cup races are being held this week in the scenic city of Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The course on the stunning river Vrbas runs strait through the City providing a unique opportunity for the spectators who lined the banks.
The first medal of the day was claimed by Kerry Christie who bagged a bronze in the Women’s K1 class.
“Its been a tough week coming here off the back of the under 23s [world championships] last week. Of course I would have liked to have done a little bit better but overall I’m proud of my result.”
Kerry then teamed up with her sister Emma Christie in the WC2. The pair who won gold at the under 23 world championships last year managed to sneak a silver at this senior world cup. They came just 15 seconds behind a Swiss crew on what was roughly a 20 minute race.
In the MK1 Leon Tomlinson was the first Brit finishing in 14th place with a time of 16:13.78. Eddie Mackintosh finished 19th, Nick Boreham 23rd and Freddie Brown came 29th. Just 0.16 seconds separated Jacob Holmes and Alex Sheppy who finished 36th and 37th.
After Kerry in the WK1 Freya Pryce battled to ha well earned 7th while Emma Christie closed out the top ten finishing with a time of 17:50.04. Vicky Murray finished 26th and Ada Czarnecka came in 39th. A strong finish for the junior’s first race at the senior level.
Freya Pryce doubled up in the WC1 finishing 12th with a time of 20:50.28 while Andrew Crowhurst claimed 9th in the MC1. Andrew then raced the MC2 class with Phil Dean. After overtaking the boat in front the pair finished with a time of 19:04.74, enough for 9th place.
Racing will continue tomorrow with the second world cup race. This will be a sprint on the main rapid through the city of Banja Luka, with high hopes that the British team might replicate their sprint success from last year’s world cups in Veles.