Great Britain enjoyed a strong finish to day one at the 2025 ICF Wildwater Sprint World Championships, in Czechia.
Great Britain fielded a versatile 20-strong team at the championships, in Ceske Budejovice, including several paddlers new to their classes.
Day one was all about qualification for Saturday’s finals as paddlers took on a challenging, highly technical 250m course, with two sets of heats in six disciplines.
While the Brits missed out on the individual finals, all three British crews in the women’s C2 safely made it through.
After holding back on their opening heat, classic C2 world champions Emma and Kerry Christie turned up the pace to win heat two with an excellent time of 55.17secs.
They were joined by the new team of Freya Pryce and Laura Milne after a second consistent run gave them fourth place, while Nottingham Canoe Club pair Ciara Maloney and Elsie Landsborough came through in fifth.
Kerry said: “It was really good,” said Kerry.
“We had a lot of good lines. There may have been a few bits where we were off but they didn’t slow us down much.”
Emma added: “It was really good off the start, and there was a little dodgy bit in the middle, but it actually set us up really well for the bigger stopper and we managed to get around it clean.”
In the men’s C2, Andrew Crowhurst and Harry Sewell-Catchpole looked competitive on their second run, but a mistake approaching the line cost them a potential final spot. They settled for ninth with 52.65.
Nick Boreham and Patrick Marriott were 10th on their international C2 debut, a plac ahead of team-mates Jacob Holmes and Rob Jefferies.
Former slalom paddler Victoria Murray came agonisingly close to qualifying in the women’s K1.
With 10 to go through from heat two, Murray shaved more than two seconds off her first heat time to post 51.89secs for 12th, less than four-tenths of a second away from a place in the final.
Lucy Guest also came close to making the medal race, finishing a place behind her team-mate with an improved run of 52.18.
Classic specialist Kerry Christie, finished fourth in the world U23 sprint final in July, but missed out here with a best time of 53.07, and Katie Pocklington saw a good second run spoiled by a mistake at the end of a punitive course.
Crowhurst posted an encouraging first run in the men’s C1 of 50.09 for 15th, but was unable to improve second time around, with 51.05 leaving him 11th.
Kayak paddlers Boreham and Regan Toop continued their development in the canoe, finishing 24th and 25th.
The ultra-competitive men’s K1 heats saw 57 paddlers battle for 15 places in Saturday’s final.
Alex Sheppy, a World Cup medallist last year, put a disappointing first run behind him to post the fastest time of the British quartet of 46.49 for 18th place in heat two.
The experienced kayaker was just six-hundredths of a second ahead of team-mate Holmes.
Ed Mackintosh put down two consistent runs, with a best time of 46.69, and completed heat two in 23rd, but Freddy Brown, who had gone fastest for GB in heat one, lost time on his second to finish 34th.
Freya Pryce made her women’s C1 international debut earlier this summer, and was the quickest of the British trio in heat two with 1:09.10 for 11th place.
But mistakes cost both Laura Milne, who had posted 1:02.80 in the first run, and senior international debutant Kate Kent.
The competition continues tomorrow, with finals running throughout the day in both individual and team events.