Kaylen Bassett hits a new personal best 4. He unequivocally clinched the bronze medal in the men’s canoe finals at Slalom World Championships, held at Penrith Whitewater Stadium. The 28-year-old athlete faced challenging conditions, including strong winds, but managed to secure a podium finish among a competitive field of twelve finalists. Resulting in this bronze medal being his best result at a world championship since he started competing internationally in 2021.
Even with all of that bad weather, Bassett was able to put on a pretty good show. He placed just 1.61 seconds behind gold medalist Nicolas Gestin, who recorded a phenomenal 97.13 seconds. Bassett had to overcome impressive odds on his path to the championship match. He finished eighth overall in the semi-finals, with a time of 116.78 seconds, qualifying him for the final round.
Tristan Carter’s jubilation at Bassett’s historic accomplishment was infectious. Then he dunked his teammate into the water, clearly displaying the friendship and joy that all of the competitors had for each other. Bassett took the podium feeling both jubilation and disappointment, realizing the burden that followed this high-stakes event.
“Oh, it was horrible. I know they call it the kiss and cry zone, but I call it torture.” – Kaylen Bassett
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Bassett reflected on the weight of expectations on him. He confessed, “I would be lying if I told you I didn’t think that there was an expectation to show up and perform.” He gave a clear sense of urgency on the need to seize the day. He shared, “I really made this a priority to be a little selfish and really soak in what this means.”
On the women’s side Noemie Fox qualified and finished ninth in her event, which was difficult as she took a deep breath in despair over the finish line. Fox went on to clock a personal best of 116.78 seconds in the semi-final, comfortably qualifying for the final. She felt she’d not reached her goals. She shared her experience and frustration, saying, “I’m just really upset, you know, I’ve cried all the tears.”
While Bassett and Fox were trailblazers, the entire Australian contingent left their mark. Ben Ross came home in 20th place, and Tristan Carter was dealt a tough hand and finished 27th after receiving a 50-second penalty for missing a gate. In the women’s C1 event, Klaudia Zwolinska captured the gold medal with a time of 108.49 seconds, while Gabriela Satkova and Kimberley Woods secured seventh and eighth places respectively.
