Woods wins maiden individual world medal

Kimberley Woods was lost for words after securing her first-ever individual World Championship medal with bronze in the K1 in Bratislava.

Woods, who finished tenth in the event in Tokyo at the Olympics, qualified for the final and then produced a brilliant run to earn bronze, with only German duo Ricarda Funk and Elena Apel finishing ahead of her.

The result is all the more remarkable when you consider that Woods was involved in a car accident just a week before the worlds and was not even certain of competing in Slovakia.

“I’m pretty overwhelmed! It’s been such a great championships as it is from the first day to the last it is amazing to be knocking at the door and finally getting a medal,” Woods said.

“I never thought my first one would be in K1, it’s amazing to have something finally hanging around my neck from all the hard work I put in for the Games and probably came into the Worlds not being in the best shape, but I’m super happy to finally call myself a medallist!”

Woods had already been part of the GB team that retained the team K1 title and could yet add a third medal to her collection after qualifying with the fastest time for the C1 semi-finals on Sunday.

And having initially been in a wheelchair in the aftermath of the car accident, and only back on the whitewater last Sunday, Woods believes the incident has actually had a positive effect to some extent.

She added: “I think something like that really shakes you up but for me, it really helped put a perspective on things.

“Something I will take forward to more races and my races next year is to really seize the moment and just be there and live it.”

Woods will be joined in the C1 semi-finals by Tokyo silver medallist Mallory Franklin, as well as Bethan Forrow, while in the men’s C1 semi-finals, three-time Olympic silver medallist David Florence is one of three British paddlers who made it through, along with Adam Burgess and Peter Linksted.

Sportsbeat 2021