Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods and France’s Anatole Delassus triumphed on a thrilling opening day of the International Canoe Federation Canoe Slalom World Cup Final with gold medals in kayak in Augsburg, Germany.
Woods made it back-to-back gold medals one week after breaking through for her first-ever K1 World Cup title, and in doing so leapfrogged her way to win the overall title for the 2025 season.
“I’m a bit speechless, to be honest,” said Woods.
“I just found a bit of a groove, so to be able to do that after three runs, I’m pretty pleased.
“I think I improved a lot from run to run.”
Click here for live startlists and results from Augsburg
Former world champion and hometown hope, Elena Lilik, picked up the silver medal, while Woods’s teammate, Lois Leaver, completed her ultra-consistent debut season with a third bronze medal.
In the overall standings, Woods finished ahead of Leaver, with Evy Leibfarth of the United States coming third.
Delassus arrived in Augsburg with three World Cup silver medals already this season, but on Friday the Frenchman was able to hold his nerve to grab his first-ever senior gold medal.
One week earlier he missed the final for the first time this year, but bounced back to his best in Augsburg.
It was a nervous wait for him, as his teammate and three-time champion this season, Titouan Castryck, was the last paddler on the course.
“Last week for me was disappointing, so I’m glad to make a good run here,” said Delassus.
“This is my first World Cup win, so it’s a perfect day.
“To be honest, I was really scared waiting for Titouan, because he had a good time even though he had made a mistake.
“I’ve had a good season, I’m happy to have put in so many good performances.”
Germany’s Noah Hegge picked up a two-second penalty for a gate touch which denied him the gold medal but secured him silver, while Castryck took the bronze.
It was enough to secure the Olympic silver medalist the overall World Cup title for 2025, ahead of Delassus and Poland’s Mateusz Polaczyk.
On a day of several surprises, Olympic champions Ricarda Funk and Joe Clarke both missed their respective finals.
It was particularly costly for the German Funk, who went into Friday’s racing as the overall World Cup leader for 2025 but then slipped back to fourth after the final.
RESULTS
WOMEN’S KAYAK
- WOODS Kimberley (GBR) 104.55 (0 seconds penalties)
- LILIK Elena (GER) +3.18 (0)
- LEAVER Lois (GBR) +3.46 (2)
MEN’S KAYAK
- DELASSUS Anatole (FRA) 93.50 (0)
- HEGGE Noah (GER) +0.16 (2)
- CASTRYCK Titouan (FRA) +0.42 (0)
OVERALL WORLD CUP RESULTS – 2025
WOMEN’S KAYAK
- WOODS Kimberley (GBR) 289 points
- LEAVER Lois (GBR) 262
- LEIBFARTH Evy (USA) 260
MEN’S KAYAK
- CASTRYCK Titouan (FRA) 336 points
- DELASSUS Anatole (FRA) 309
- POLACZYK Mateusz (POL) 256
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