Australian team gains great experience at World Wildwater titles

Australia’s U23 and Junior Wildwater World Championship team have gained exceptional experience from the tough competition in Europe last week.

The 2017 World Championships were held at Murau in Austria, where recent rain made conditions challenging for all competitors.

Highlights on the final days included the progression of Madison Wilson to the final of the C1 women’s junior individual sprint, and Lachlan and Kaylen Bassett moving to the final of the C2 men’s U23 sprint final.

Wilson finished ninth in a very strong women’s junior final, while the Bassett’s also finished ninth against strong European opposition.

In the team sprint events, the K1 U23 women’s team of Georgia Tonkin, Georgina Collins and Madeleine Batters finished a very respectable seventh in a 10-strong field.

There were also encouraging performances from Demi O’Brien, Madison Wilson and Imogen Douglass in the K1 women’s junior team, Ben Strmecki, Max McDonald and James Humphry in the K1 men’s junior, and Kaylen Bassett, Keiran Simpson and James O’Donoghue-Hayes in the men’s K1 U23.

Demi O’Brien, Imogen Douglass and Madison Wilson also gained valuable experience competing in the women’s C1 U23 team event.

All the Australian team members are to be congratulated for their excellent performances against the best in the world and in very challenging conditions.