BENDIGO paddler Kristy Packham was the fastest Australian female, while Maddie Batters performed strongly against her senior counterparts at the World Wildwater Sprint Championships in Slovenia on Friday.
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Packham tamed the big water at Solkan to race to 21st overall in a time of 73.88 seconds for the women’s K1.
Packham finished just ahead of junior paddler Batters who, at her first international competition, came 25th in 75.61 seconds.
The Bendigo Canoe Club members did not qualify for the final, but both were said to be happy with their runs.
The central Victorians faced a big battle against their European counterparts, who regularly train on rivers that Packham and Batters don’t have regular access to from their Bendigo base.
Great Britain’s Hannah Brown was the fastest placegetter in the heats with a blistering time of 67.4.
The finals were held under lights.
A previous junior world champion, Melanie Mathys came from a ninth-seeding to set to pace with a run of 68.95.
The Swiss gun held the lead until Brown produced another solid run of 68.13 seconds which, although slightly slower than her preliminary time, was enough to clinch the world title.
A field of 180 athletes from 21 nations competed at the International Canoe Federation world championships.
Packham and Batters will next compete at two World Cup events in Bosnia this weekend.
