Great Britain capped the 2025 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in style with more medal success on the final day of action in Hungary.
Will Short made it two medals for the championships as he and Alex Worgan claimed a brilliant silver in the junior men’s K2 behind favourites Kevin Budai and Zarand Lanczi.
It left Great Britain sixth in the overall medal table with a gold, silver and bronze, following a fourth-place finish in the European Championships, while there were three golds and a bronze for GB’s paracanoe paddlers.
“It was tough. We expected the Hungarians to take it out and not to let anyone else get to the front,” said Short.
“I struggled towards the end – I didn’t feel I had much left in me, but Alex pulled me through. I really needed him to be there, so I’m very happy with that result.”
Worgan added: “The Hungarians flew around the first two laps and then we had some portage issues, but once we got past that we were pretty comfy.”
The British pair even had time to negotiate a wardrobe malfunction when Worgan’s vest became caught in the boat entering the first portage.
“There was a bit of panic,” he said.
“I just shouted for Will to go and hope I caught up, but I was kind of attached to the boat while trying to run which was quite hard, but we managed it somehow.”
Short added: “I felt no-one had picked the boat up behind me, so I had a quick look round and saw his vest caught in, so just thought ‘I’m going to keep running and it will save us maybe one or two seconds’.
“I knew he’d get back and we’d be alright, so it was all good.”
It has been a contrasting four days in Gyor for Short who took the junior men’s K1 short course world title on day one, but then had to withdraw with illness during Saturday’s long course K1 final.
Any doubts over his fitness were dispelled 24 hours later as he and Worgan both delivered in the day’s opening event.
The British pair got away safely in an early five-boat break, including two Hungarian boats, which soon became four by the end of the opening lap as the Italians fell back.
GB may have had a scare entering the first portage, but it was a mishap for Andras Mozes and David Gorbe on the way out which instead saw the second Hungarian boat cut adrift.
Short and Worgan, alongside Budai and Lanczi and the South Africans Ryley Smith and Keegan Vogt then established a 41-second lead over Mozes and Gorbe by the end of lap four of six, well clear of the remaining 18 boats.
As the leaders began to race tactically against each other, and with Short beginning to suffer with cramp after Saturday’s sickness, the fast-closing Mozes and Gorbe appeared to be pulling back into medal contention on the final short lap.
But pre-race favourites Budai and Lanczi and the Brits broke away at the final portage making it a two-way shootout for gold.
And the Hungarians powered away down the finishing straight, with Short and Worgan crossing the line just five seconds back in 1:28:41.50.
Buoyed by his top-six finish in the senior men’s K1 late on Saturday, James Russell tackled the 29.2km course once more, this time with Charlie Smith in the senior men’s K2, while Britain also fielded Matt Johnson and U23s paddler Joe Enoch.
Smith and Russell got away well in a busy start, pulling in on the wash of Portuguese leaders Jose Ramalho and Fernando Pimenta, with Enoch and Johnson tucked in just behind the lead group.
With the frontrunners setting a high tempo, Smith and Russell fell back to the second group, on lap two shortly before a strong trio of boats broke at the first portage, establishing a gap that would not be bridged.
By the end of the second lap Smith and Russell were working in the third group for places 12th to 15th, with Enoch and Johnson a few groups back in 22nd.
Smith and Russell worked with the Vold brothers, of Norway, in 14th and 15th over the next few laps, with Enoch and Johnson going solo in 18th on their way to an eventual 19th-place finish in a time of 2:03:18.
Setting a consistent pace, Russell and Smith reeled in the two boats ahead and then pipped South African pair of Hank McGregor and Uvard Hart at the line for 12th, clocking 1:59:10.
U23s paddler Jessica Urquhart – who finished 11th over the short course in senior women’s K1, teamed up with Brynde Kreft for GB in the senior women’s K2.
After latching on to the lead group from the start, they fell back after a frantic first turn to settle into a group occupying eighth to 11th positions.
The British pair slipped back a touch by the end of lap one and went on alone in 11th place through the next six laps, all the way to the finish, making it home in 2:04:48.70.
The squad can now reflect on a strong canoe marathon international season which also included representation in the short and long distances at the World Games by James Russell and Melissa Johnson.