The Great Britain team produced an impressive clean sweep of qualifiers in the women's and men's kayak on day three of the 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships – a perfect six from six – as the hosts continue to enjoy every inch of the Lee Valley White Water Centre.
After four progressed in the canoe on day two, the switch to the women's and men's kayak presented further opportunities – something Kimberley Woods (Rugby) grabbed with both hands as she qualified directly to the semi-finals from heat one after posting a time of 88.28 seconds to rank fourth overall.
Indeed there was a British clean sweep from the women as World Championship debutant Phoebe Spicer (Lee Valley) advanced 13th overall from heat one while Mallory Franklin (Windsor) successfully navigated a second heat to progress – her and Woods now both in the canoe and kayak semi-finals.
Chris Bowers (Stafford and Stone) led the way in the men's kayak ranking ninth in heat one while Joe Clarke (Stafford and Stone) was 23rd and straight into the semi-finals before the day ended with Jonny Dickson (CR Cats) taking the tenth and final qualifying spot from heat two to complete that very impressive clean sweep on day three.
Woods' faced the complete opposite conditions compared to day two as she switched from the canoe to kayak – with sunshine replacing the high winds and heavy rain in the morning – and produced a fine run to make her second semi-final.
After a touch at gate four, Woods battled brilliantly with a very stylish run to make up for it down the course. She posted a time of 88.28, which without the two-second penalty would have comfortably been the fastest overall.
As she went into the second at the time of completing her run and eventually ranked fourth – the same position from 24 hours ago in heat one of the women's canoe at Lee Valley.
Kimberley Woods said:
“The sun was out and there was a big crowd. It felt good and I really felt the noise of the crowd. A bit of a mistake on gates four and five. It got a bit sticky – but that is the first gate I have hit all week and hopefully that's the only one. I am happy to be through on that first run.
“I have been doubling up on the GB teams for 12 years now. When I was just doing kayak for the Games [Olympics] I got a little bit bored and didn't know what to do with myself so it is nice to have multiple classes.”
Spicer was the first Brit to go on day three as attention turned to the women's and men's kayak heats – and the World Championship debutant delivered a superb performance to qualify directly to the semi-final.
She looked great through the first half of the course, especially on the upstream gates, and was less than a second down on Marjorie Delassus of France, who at that point had set the race lead with a time of 89.09.
Familiar with the Lee Valley waters she trains on regularly, Spicer completed a fine clean race through the second half to become the second athlete at the time, after Delassus, to go under 90 seconds after stopping the clock at 89.97.
Spicer, who was wearing bib 33, had to wait to see if that performance would be enough to put her into the top 20 and therefore her maiden World Championship semi-final – and it comfortably was as she ranked 13th overall.
Phoebe Spicer said: “I am definitely happy. I am happy I was able to go out there and focus on myself and my run and deliver what I planned to do. When I got to the bottom, I knew I had put a good run down. There was nothing major in my run so I knew it would be fairly good – it was just actually waiting for it to be confirmed.
“My expectations are just about my performance not the outcome and I delivered what I wanted to in that run. It's definitely a cool experience. It is nice to see Lee Valley busy and it is good to see big crowds – and the whole set up of it all. It is really cool.”
Like Woods, Franklin is attempting to compete every day at these Championships as she too returned for the women's kayak heats. Unfortunately she incurred two time penalties on her run in heat one and ranked outside the top 20 in 31st after a time of 94.30.
That meant she was back out for heat two, where she guaranteed her place in the semi-final with a clean run. Needing to be top ten, Franklin ensured there will be three Brits in the next round with a time of 90.90 that placed her seventh in heat two.
Mallory Franklin said: “It was hard. My first run was pretty poor and hitting gate one like I did really put me off for my second run. It was hard to think about how to start the run well when all I really needed to do was get through gate one without taking it out.
“It was cagey at times – good bits too – but it is difficult being in second heats. There were some good runs put down and I just wanted to get through and still be in the fight for finals. I've not had that great a season in Kayak apart from Prague. I don't feel fully myself and I'm able to attack it as much as I like but all in all there are some good bits in it and hopefully I can build on that.”
Bowers was the first of the British trio to compete in the men's kayak heats and, after battling to navigate the early gates, his smooth style came to the fore with less than second separating him from the leading time through the first 11 gates.
He worked hard to maintain his clean run and achieved exactly that, ensuring that the deficit from then leader – Mathieu Desnos of Brazil – did not grow too large as he clocked a time of 80.37 for second at the time.
Like Spicer, a wait was needed to confirm whether a place in the top 30 and the semi-finals was automatically secured and it didn't take too long for Bowers to know as he ranked ninth overall at the end of the first heat.
Chris Bowers said: “It was solid. I knew I was a bit scrappy on the first and second S gates but I generally held the run together well, kept it smooth and kept the boat running, which is what is important in heats so I can get the job done and go home and chill.
“I feel like I have got into a really good routine – being at home certainly helps. I feel in a really good place physically and mentally and technically I feel fresh. I feel like I know this water like the back of my hand and I'm hoping for a bit more of a difficult course in the semi-final.”
Clarke was made to wait before getting started in heat one following a ten-minute delay to proceedings but and, despite picking up a penalty at gate three, looked strong through the top section.
He was in contention for the higher placings through gate 11 and needed to use every inch of his body as he tackled the remaining 12. The start set Clarke up well as a slower end to his run placed him in 23rd overall.
Clarke went completely clean after gate three and posted a time of 83.28 for that top-30 place overall as he and Bowers advanced through automatically to Saturday's semi-finals at the Lee Valley White Water Centre.
Dickson was the second Brit up in the men's kayak but unfortunately incurred two time penalties and was adjudged to have missed a gate in the first heat with a second needed a couple of hours later at Lee Valley.
His wait for a second run was actually extended as rain and thunder at Lee Valley forced an hour delay while the men’s kayak heat two was ongoing. Dickson would produce a solid run, slightly touching gate 12 for a two-second penalty and an overall time of 82.91.
With ten still to go after him, that left it very touch and go as to whether Dickson would advance to the semi-finals but fortune was with him as would rank exactly where he needed to be in tenth – actually sharing that position with Dimitri Marx of Switzerland to add to the late drama.
British team medal tally:
Gold (1): Women's canoe team
Silver (1): Men's canoe team
Bronze (1): Women's kayak team
How to follow?
BBC – 22 – 24 September
The canoe slalom semi-finals and finals and the kayak cross action will be live on the BBC Red Button and iPlayer.
FRIDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER
C1 semi-finals 1000-1210 BST
C1 finals 1330-1515 BST (not Red Button)
SATURDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER
K1 semi-finals 1000-1230 BST
K1 finals 1330-1515 BST
SUNDAY 24th SEPTEMBER
Kayak Cross finals 1330-1515 BST
Tickets
And of course, there's no better way to catch all the action than live at the venue.
Get your tickets now for the 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships at the iconic Lee Valley White Water Centre from 19-24 September.
From as little as £1, join us and experience the thrill of the action as GB's top stars, including Mallory Franklin and Joe Clarke MBE, take on the best in the world on home turf.
British quota places for the Paris 2024 Olympics are up for grabs too.
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You can also keep up to date with the action on the British Canoeing channels, as well as start-lists and live results here from the Planet Canoe website