Kayak cross: Kimberley Woods on canoeing's unpredictable Olympic event (original) (raw)

The gates open. That is about the only certainty.

There is the briefest moment of serenity before they do. A time for deep breaths to calm rapidly beating hearts as the adrenaline soars.

Then, all hell breaks loose.

What unfolds after the ramp-drop is dynamic disorder - a confused kaleidoscope of brightly coloured boats powered by paddles brandished frantically, tearing through unforgiving white water.

It is brutal, full-contact, high-octane fun which, for good measure, demands competitors must also submerge themselves to complete a 360-degree boat roll.

And, at the end of it all, Britain's Kimberley Woods is the kayak cross world champion.

"Hectic. Absolutely hectic. That’s what I love so much about it - you never know what is going to happen," Woods, 28, tells BBC Sport.

"You will always have the favourites in the race and you know they are very strong contenders.

“But so many things can go wrong. So many things can happen, both in terms of your own plans and other paddlers intruding on them."

That Woods, who claimed her first individual world title at Lee Valley last September, has little sense of what will happen at Paris 2024 is a fitting tribute to canoeing's latest Olympic addition.

The canoe and kayak singles remain the individual races against the clock as seen at Tokyo 2020, but this time they are complemented in the programme by the eye-catching kayak cross, which pits four athletes in direct competition.

Upstream and downstream gates must still be navigated and speed remains crucial - but not as paramount as speed of thought in a fast-changing landscape.

All courtesies are left on the start line before the boats do battle, colliding repeatedly as they fight for the best line, and often ruining the best-laid plans.

"I love that it is so inconsistent in a way that you just don't know what is going to happen," Woods says.

"You can't plan for anything. You can only plan to react in the moment.

"Hopefully you are able to react well and make good decisions in the moment. That is one of my strengths - I'm instinctive, which is probably why I'm good at it."

Woods will be part of a Team GB canoeing squad full of medal potential in Paris, alongside Olympic medallists Joseph Clarke and Mallory Franklin, and Adam Burgess - who missed out on the Tokyo podium by 0.16 seconds.

Despite the anticipated chaos, Woods will hope to replicate her kayak cross world gold - and will also compete in the women's kayak singles (K1), in which she finished 10th on her Olympic debut three years ago.

Her breakthrough triumph, achieved in front of a home crowd last year, was an emotional achievement for Woods, who has overcome serious mental health issues to reach a second Games.

Woods, who pursued canoeing from a young age after watching a video of her aunt - herself a world junior medallist, told BBC Sport in 2020 she had overcome depression and self-harm, which she linked to being bullied as a child.

Sport offered an escape - and it has taken her to the top of the world.

"It is something that has been a dream since I was a junior," says Woods.

"I definitely watch the final back if I'm feeling a bit down. It makes me realise how far I’ve come and how big that achievement was. I get those same feelings again and that will remain recorded on my TV for many years."

Woods, who also won the overall kayak cross World Cup title last year, continued her Paris preparations with bronze at the canoe slalom World Cup in Krakow in June.

The kayak cross competitions begin in Paris on 3 August at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, with an initial time-trial round to determine the heats.

With Olympic experience to call upon and evidence she can win major titles, Woods will be ready as she waits for the gates to open - and the mayhem to start.

"The belief was there in Tokyo, but it is definitely there now. It kind of scares me a little bit to think what could happen - in a good way," says Woods.

"There is that internal pressure, knowing I can go out there and win each race, but it's more wanting to than needing to - I think there's a big difference between those two things."

Contemplating what it would mean to win Olympic gold, Woods adds: "I'll be absolutely distraught. Everything would just come out. I was crying at the top of the podium in London after wining the worlds. I'm hoping I will be more composed - but there will probably be some ugly photos of me crying happy tears.

"It would be a nice moment to realise that all the effort, tears, hurt and ups and downs have been worth it."