Great Britain have made a golden start to the ICF Junior and Under 23 Wildwater Canoeing World Championships in Slovenia.
Sisters Emma and Kerry Christie capped a successful day for the young British team by defending the U23 Women’s C2 title they claimed two years ago.
It was the second medal of the day for Kerry after securing silver in the U23 Women’s K1.
The defending champion looked set to win gold once more, but was pushed into second place by Italian champion Cecilia Panato in a thrilling finale.
And Will Stevely was agonisingly close to adding another British medal in the Junior Men’s K1, finishing a place and less than two seconds outside the medals.
Paddlers faced a relatively flat 4km classic course on the River Soca, in Solkan, but had to contend with searing temperatures due to hit the high 30s.
Kerry had pipped Panato to silver at the senior world championships last summer and looked set to retain her U23 Women’s K1 crown when she became the first paddler to break 17 minutes with a super time of 16min 47.53secs.
But, last to finish, the flying Italian crossed the line in 16:25.44 to nick the gold.
Wildwater newcomer Freya Pryce had set the early pace with a superb run of 17:20.02 which earned a super seventh place.
And Emma Christie was the third British athlete inside the top 10, clocking 17:28.38.
In the U23s Women’s C2, the Christie sisters were hot favourites after claiming the senior world title last summer and did so by some margin.
Last to go, they covered the course in 18:53.33, a full 44 seconds ahead of their closest challengers.
The day began with the Junior Women’s K1 where Elsie Landsborough was the fastest of a quartet of Brits, finishing 13th in a 47-strong field with 18:33.05.
Her clubmate Ciara Maloney was just five places back in 18:54.78, while development paddlers Karly Leeson (20:31.06) and Adrianna Czarnecka (20:37.42) finished 38th and 41st, respectively, on their world championship debuts.
Fellow world championship debutant Sebastian Reeves was pleased with his run of 20:31.56 in the Junior Men’s C1, which was good enough for 17th spot.
Regan Toop was quickest of the three British paddlers in the U23 Men’s C1, clocking 20:20.05 for 18th position.
And Harry Catchpole-Sewell (21:19.50) nudged team-mate Callum McDonald (21:39.92) into 20th place.
In a 63-man Junior Men’s K1 field, Will Stevely posted the fastest split time, but would ultimately cross the line fourth-quickest in a great time of 15:59.33.
It left him just 1.8 seconds outside the bronze and within 10 seconds of winner Felix Grondin, of France.
“The run was all very nice but I could not pick it up, there was nothing more to give,” said Will.
Will’s brother Sam also put down a fine run of 16:09.94 to take eighth place, while young paddlers Malachi Grant (17:54.97) and Finlay Lovell (19:00.75) finished in 43rd and 52nd, respectively.
Leon Tomlinson built on his experience at the senior worlds last year by posting the quickest British time of the day with 15:52.99.
He stayed second-fastest for much of the U23 Men’s K1 race to stoke medal hopes, but the late starters finished hot, leaving the Brit with a fine sixth place in the 42-man field.
Eddie Mackintosh produced an impressive run of 16:04.34 to narrowly miss out on a top 10 in 13th, and Lochlain Lovell (16:30.27) was 24th.
But there was disappointment for medal prospect Huw Singleton who went the wrong side of the buoy at the finish and was disqualified.
Great Britain had two paddlers making their world championship bows in the Junior Women’s C1.
Sophie Cameron was quicker of the pair, posting 23:13.83 for 13th place, while Emily MacLean was a further position back in 23:34.98.
And there was a second top-seven finish of the day for Freya Pryce in the U23 Women’s C1, recording 20:31.72 to cap a highly satisfying day.
Moving into the evening session for the doubles events, clubmates Elsie Landsborough and Ciara Maloney went for GB in the Junior Women’s C2 and finished seventh in 21:42.29.
Britain were able to field three pairs in the U23 Men’s C2, with Eddie Mackintosh & Toby Peyton-Jones leading
the way with 13th place in a time of 18:57.35.
They pipped Harry Catchpole-Sewell and Lochlain Lovell by just a single second, while Adam Knox paired with Callum McDonald (20:27.93) to take 15th spot.