Mike Dawson produces personal best at world championships

Mike Dawson. Photo / Andrew Warner.

Experienced New Zealand slalom canoeist Mike Dawson has produced his best international result at the world championships in France today.

Bay of Plenty paddler Dawson finished seventh in the K1 final of the championships in Pau. It is New Zealand best world championship result in three decades, since Donald Johnstone's fifth place in 1987.

"I'm stoked to do this for the sport and it's an awesome result for me and something I've been so close to for so many years," Dawson said.

Having finished 10th at last year's Rio Olympics and with a couple of ninth-placings at World Cup level, Dawson squeaked into the final with a 95.35s semifinal run, grabbing the last qualifying spot by just 0.38s.

He was on track for a dream final run too, until a bubble of water pushed him outside the 15th gate. Dawson lost time there, then clipped the subsequent gate to pick up a 2s time penalty and drop him to 98.80s and seventh overall.

Czech Ondrej Tunka - who won last year's Whitewater XL title in Auckland - grabbed a shock gold medal in 91.84s after Slovenia's Peter Kauzer received a late penalty, with Tunka's compatriot Vit Prindis finishing just 0.02sbehind for silver.

Olympic champion Joe Clarke of Britain was a spot ahead of Dawson in sixth.

Dawson believes the work he and coach Campbell Walsh have put in this season in Pau has paid dividends.

"The course was really good and we spent a lot of time here and know it well," he said.
''If you're technically good, it's going to be great for you as a paddler but in saying that, it's always really tight racing so you've just got to put it all on the line."

This result has further rejuvenated the New Zealand veteran, who turns 31 next month but is showing no sign of slowing down.

"It's been a wicked off-season since the Olympics - going to Pakistan and doing a few extreme kayaking missions around the world is something I've wanted to do for a few years.

''To be able to do that and come back and compete with these guys at a world champs and step it up is pretty cool."

Meanwhile, two penalty touches meant Rio Olympic silver medallist Luuka Jones finished out of the finals in her new C1 division, finishing in 124.82s, just 2.17s outside the top-10.

Great Britain's Mallory Franklin squeaked through in 10th spot but turned it around in the final with a dream run to take gold.

Jones is back in action late tonight in the K1 semifinals, with Jones, Dawson and Callum Gilbert lining up in Sunday's extreme slalom competition.