The waka ama winners

Akayshia Williams

THE expression says it all after Gisborne teenager Akayshia Williams’ (above) victory in the junior 19 women’s W1 500 metres final at the waka ama sprint nationals on Lake Karapiro.

Williams, of the Mareikura club, won the J19 crown for the third consecutive year, and capped her golden champs by successfully defending the J19 250m dash on the final day.

Clubmate Marama Elkington emulated that performance in the premier women’s W1 500 and 250 dash in emphatic style.

Wellington teenager Elkington completed her build-up in Gisborne under the watchful coaching eye of Aotearoa waka ama pioneer Matahi Brightwell, who also coaches Williams.

Elkington won national titles in most junior age groups before confirming her No.1 status at premier level. She will now seek to add another world title to her 2012 J16 crown.

Williams is also eyeing success at the va’a world champs on Australia’s Sunshine Coast in May. She led a Gisborne whitewash of the W1 J19 and J16 girls’ medals at the nationals.

Seven of the eight J19 finalists were from Mareikura or Horouta Waka Hoe.

Gisborne did the double in intermediate W1 finals with Kelsey Teneti and Manaakiao Maxwell, both of Horouta, winning gold.

It was second consecutive intermediate triumph for Maxwell.

Tia Akurangi, of Mareikura, has had to settle for bridesmaid honours in the past two years at J16 level. She ended the wait in one of the races of the champs, less than half a second separating the top three.

Halecia Gardiner-Pomare (Hor) won the u23 women’s final and 16 years after winning the open women’s title, Mareikura’s Raipoia Brightwell claimed the golden master women’s W1 title, albeit paddling for Rotorua club Ruamata at these champs.

There will only be a short period of savouring the W1 and indeed the many W6 and W12 successes that saw Horouta and Mareikura fill the top two club places in overall points.

Training will start in earnest for the Worlds, where paddlers will get to test themselves on an international scale. Bring it on.