KIMBERLEY Woods wants to put down a good performance in her first outing of the season at the European Canoe Slalom Championships in Tacen, Slovenia.
The Rugby canoeist has already secured her place at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games after enjoying a medal-laden 2023 season.
And Woods is ready to attack the new season alongside Mallory Franklin in the women’s kayak and canoe events.
Woods said: “It’s come by really quickly, I’m feeling prepared and ready to go out there, it’s a beautiful course and I’m really looking forward to getting out there.
“Any success gives me confidence, I’ve got a lot more confidence from the winter training I’ve just put in, I’m just looking to put down a good performance.
“Every race is very different, just because you win a World Championships it doesn’t mean you’ll get on the podium at the next race.
“You’ve still got to use your tactics and plan well, every course is different, we know these courses very well now, it’s just making sure we’re there mentally as well as physically.
“A lot of the wins come from being mentally strong. As long as I make sure I do that in the race and be proud of myself, I know that I’ll have a good outcome.”
And while Woods is looking forward to competing in Paris this summer, she remains focused on the upcoming European Championships.
Woods added: “I find it quite easy [to put Paris to the back of my mind] because I like to look at what is right in front me, Paris is still quite a way away, we’ve got a lot of races building up to that.
“It’s always there in the back of my mind but it’s what’s in front of me that I find it easier to focus on.
“It helps in our sport to put everything else aside and focus on the next few gates and seconds or whatever it might be.
“It’s just about building on those race experiences this year, after the World Cup I’m only going to focus on the K1 and Kayak Cross.
“That’s where I’ll be able to put into practice things I will be using at the Games itself, I’m looking forward to competing with the world’s best.”
The European Canoe Slalom Championships take place from May 15 to 19.
