Great Britain’s Ottilie Robinson-Shaw qualified top in two classes and three-time champion Dane Jackson was best in the men’s canoe on a busy day of competition at the ICF Freestyle World Championships in Columbus, Georgia, on Tuesday.
Robinson-Shaw, who won all three gold medals on offer at last year’s world championships at Nottingham, bounced back from the disappointment of finishing second in Monday’s squirt competition by qualifying in top place in both the kayak and canoe classes.
Robinson-Shaw finished more than 100 points ahead of Japan’s world champion Hitomi Takaku in the women’s kayak.
“I was a bit nervous, but after my first ride I knew I’d made the cut, so I just relaxed and tried to do some of my favourite tricks,” Robinson-Shaw said.
“Yesterday was my first ever silver, I still am a bit sad. The day didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, but I just had to park those emotions so I could focus on what’s next and dwell on that in the future. For now I’ve got business to deal with.
“I think I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to try and double the triple, I was sad yesterday because suddenly that dream had to go. But then, so what, a silver is pretty great, and I have two other classes where I can defend my title and I just have t enjoy it and be nice to myself.”
Two-time world champion Emily Jackson posted the third highest score.
There were some nervous moments for Robinson-Shaw in the women’s canoe. After she failed to score on her first two runs, the Brit clocked up 263.33 on her final ride to finish 150 points ahead of Canada’s Sophie Gilfillan.
The men’s canoe is poised to be another big battle between defending champion Landon Miller and three-time world champion, Dane Jackson. Miller posted the best score in the heats, but then fellow American Jackson came out on top in the semi-finals.
“It feels like everything is moving so fast, the C1 semis got pretty exciting at the end,” Jackson said.
“In the end I think the final is going to be really fun, really exciting, we’re all going to go hard at it and it’s going to be exciting who comes out on top. I’ll do the best I can, but anything can happen on a wave.”
Miller said he was enjoying being the defending champion.
“It feels good, the pressure is good, there’s a lot of pressure, everyone’s coming for my throat, but I’ve just got to keep my head in the straight and the narrow and do what you need to get done,” he said.
Americans Seth Chapelle and Jordan Poffenberger will join Japan’s Subaru Fukushi in the final.
More details, results and live streaming can be found here.
Pics by Peter Holcombe
