September round-up: Mallory Franklin and Georgia Taylor-Brown return to the podium

Monthly review and preview 01 Oct 26

With the last tendrils of summer easing their grip, sport hurtled headlong towards September's busy schedule.

Britain's canoeists and kayakers conquered Europe, while Oscar Onley and Zoe Bäckstedt put in historic performances on their road bikes in front of the watching world.

There was also continued success on the track across the innovative Ultimate Championships and Athlos, with stars such as Josh Kerr and Keely Hodgkinson adding to their staggering achievements this year.

Let's have a look at the month's best moments.

British women light up Ivrea

There was plenty of British representation at the Paddle Europe Slalom Championships in northern Italy, the final major event of the canoe slalom and kayak calendar.

Mallory Franklin earned her first victory since returning from pregnancy earlier this year, as she clinched the European canoe title for the third time in her career by just 0.03 seconds.

But the 32-year-old wasn't done there. She scooped bronze in the C1 team event alongside Kimberley Woods and Ellis Miller, before powering through the final section of the course to take a silver medal in the kayak cross on the final day, completing a full set of medals for the week.

Woods had an excellent week herself, as she reigned victorious in the kayak cross individual event, winning by more than half a second over Poland's Klaudia Zwolińska.

Joe Clarke, Sam Leaver, and Ben Haylett combined to earn team bronze in the men's K1 team, taking GB's medal haul to five across the event, enough to take fourth spot in the medal table.

Georgia Taylor-Brown back on top

After a challenging three years, Georgia Taylor-Brown stepped back onto the top step of a World Triathlon Championship podium.

The Yorkshirewoman, who has won every colour of Olympic medal in her career, came across the finish line in the series' penultimate race in Karlovy Vary, Czechia, with an enormous smile spread across her face.

She had ended her breakaway ride neck and neck with American Taylor Spivey and Therese Feuersinger, before launching a stunning attack at the start of the run, eventually coming home 36 seconds clear of Spivey in second.

Alex Yee was just ten seconds off the win in the men's race but settled for silver behind Frenchman Dorian Coninx.

And Taylor-Brown continued her superb form, coming second to another French athlete, Cassandre Beaugrand, in the season's final race in Pontevedra, Spain, just ahead of teammate Kate Waugh as Yee took third in the men's race.

Ultimate champions

Held across just three days, the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship got underway, inviting the best athletes in the world to Budapest. No medals were awarded; instead, trophies were handed only to the winners.

Josh Kerr ended his historic summer by taking the 1500m crown. Of course, his record-breaking mile and Commonwealth Games title made him a hot favourite, but he worked hard to hold off Australia's Cameron Myers.

Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell both came second in the 800m and 1500m, respectively, while Jazmin Sawyers added to her fairytale summer to come second in the long jump with a 6.78m leap.

And in the mixed relays, GB took third place in the mixed 4x100m relay and second in the 4x400m, in which Charlotte Henrich's extraordinary anchor leg made up two places on the final lap.

Brennan untouchable in Spain

Few British sports fans would have been familiar with Matthew Brennan before the Vuelta a España, but his star has risen very quickly since then.

In his first Grand Tour, the Darlington dynamo sprinted to a monumental five stage wins, and at just 21 years old, is the youngest man ever to do so.

He stunned the cycling world by winning back-to-back stages, once again becoming the youngest rider in history to do so, and he will almost certainly be a fixture in Team Visma-Lease a Bike for many years to come.

Elsewhere in the Vuelta, Scot Oscar Onley was imperious in the white jersey, given to the best young rider, and he ultimately finished sixth in the general classification.

Hodgkinson finishing with a flourish

The third edition of Athlos took place at Barnet's StoneX Stadium, with the world's best female athletes contesting select events in track and field.

In the absence of great rival Audrey Werro, Hodgkinson got back to winning ways in the 800m, as she beat another Swiss, Valentina Rosamilia, to the crown.

The 24-year-old donned a sleek Nike bodysuit to glide round to victory in one of the athletics calendar's more flamboyant events. She said: "It was really fun and it's something I'll remember forever."

Hunter Bell was outkicked by Poland's Klaudia Kazimierska in the 1500m.

Backstedt makes a mark at the senior worlds

Welsh rider Zoe Backstedt seized a silver medal in the women's time trial at the UCI World Road Championship in Montreal, finishing just 40 seconds behind reigning champion Marlen Reusser of Switzerland.

The then-21-year-old was 13 years Reusser's junior and could have ridden in the under-23 classification, which she won last year. She came through in 34th in the road race too.

Boxers come clutch

GB Boxers took home five medals from the European Boxing Championships in Bulgaria.

Abdul Burton (55kg), Chantelle Reid (70kg) and Damar Thomas (90kg+) all soared to silver on the final day of competition as Callum Makin (75kg,) and Demiji Shittu (80kg) clinched bronze.

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