KIMBERLEY Woods won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze with a series of sensational performances at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships.
Woods won women’s canoe team gold in the first event of the Championships before claiming her maiden individual gold in the kayak cross competition at the Lee Valley White Water Centre.
That came after Woods won individual silver in the women’s canoe final, finishing behind compatriot Mallory Franklin, while she also won bronze in the kayak team event.
Speaking after winning kayak cross gold, Woods said: “Wow! I can’t believe I can call myself a world champion.
“It took me a little while [to get going], it was really tough for the first couple of rounds and the final, again, it was ‘don’t come last’.
“I believed in myself a lot, it is my super strength, being adaptable and instinctive and not trying to anticipate what other people are doing.
“It is about staying on my A game all the way down the course and I’ve shown that this year.”
Woods won canoe team gold alongside Franklin and late call-up Ellis Miller as Great Britain made the perfect start to the home World Championships.
Executing a perfectly clean run through 18 gates, the trio stormed to gold in an unbeatable time of 112.45 seconds, finishing 2.10 secs clear of Czech Republic who took silver.
And Woods and Franklin then took bronze in the kayak team event alongside debutant Phoebe Spicer.
After incurring a two-second time penalty for touching gate three early on, the trio were also impacted by a touch at gate 16 to finish in 109.02 seconds.
That left Britain second in the standings, behind only Australia, with six nations still to race as Spain ended up in the silver medal position to leave Woods, Franklin and Spicer with an impressive bronze.
And Woods then won individual silver in the women’s canoe final as Britain claimed a sensational one-two with Franklin taking gold by just 0.42 secs.
Woods added: “I am someone who shows a lot of emotion on my face and I am crying because I am so happy.
“It’s really important in terms of the quota spaces and Olympic selection and proving to British Canoeing that we should be there at the Games.”
Britain ended the Championships with eight medals in total – five gold, two silver and one bronze – which represents Team GB’s best-ever performance at the event.
And Britain also claimed all of the available quota places on offer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games meaning they will head to France with a full squad.
