Paris 2024 medallists Adam Burgess and Kimberley Woods kick-started their 2025 campaigns with success at the slalom Oceania Championships held in Penrith, Australia over the weekend.
With the venue playing host to the 2025 ICF World Championships in October, there was a strong international field, that featured multiple Olympic medallists, competing over the weekend as the world’s best athletes looked to gain exposure on the course ahead of the upcoming season.
A large British contingent competed across the events and there was success for two of the Paris 2024 medallists to start 2025 strongly.
Olympic silver medallist Adam Burgess (Stafford & Stone) continued his Paris success by winning the men’s canoe. Despite a touch in the final, he placed over half a second ahead of the field to secure the gold in a race he’d always dreamt of winning.
Elsewhere, compatriot Ryan Westley (Lower Wharfe) placed eighth overall, whilst Peter Linksted (Falkirk & Stirling) finished 15th in the semi-finals.
After winning double bronze in Paris, Kimberley Woods (Rugby) starred once again on the kayak cross stage as she secured silver in the women’s final.
In a stacked international line-up that featured Olympic Champions and local favourites Jess and Noemie Fox, Woods battled to silver in the final, which was won by Tokyo gold medallist Ricarda Funk and three-time Olympic medallist Maialen Chourraut finishing third. Nikita Setchell (Holme Pierrepont) fell at the quarter-final stage.
Two-time Olympic medallist Joe Clarke MBE (Stafford & Stone) was close to the podium as he finished fourth in the men’s kayak final, with Jonny Dickson (CR Cats) placing seventh and Ben Haylett in 12th after a missed gate.
Woods and Ellis Miller (Lee Valley) were both in the women’s kayak finals as the pair finished seventh and ninth respectively.
Beth Forrow (Lee Valley) finished just outside the women’s kayak final, placing 13th in her first international race since becoming a mum in 2023. Lois Leaver (Edinburgh Schools) finished 25th overall, whilst Setchell finished 32nd.
Rugby paddler Woods was closer to the podium in the women’s canoe final as she finished fifth with a penalty, and just three seconds off the podium as Miller finished ninth overall. Forrow finished in 19th on this ocassion.
Mallory Franklin (Windsor & District) was also on the start-line in her first and last race of 2025 season, with the Tokyo silver medallist expecting a baby this summer.
She took on the early rounds of the women’s canoe, kayak and kayak cross, qualifying for the latter stages of the slalom but opted not to race the semi-finals.
Sam Leaver (Edinburgh Schools) was the standout performer in the men’s kayak cross, just missing out on a place in the final, but ranked as the highest placed U23 athlete.
You can find a full list of results from the three days of action here
Photo credit: Paddle Australia
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