Luuka Jones of New Zealand on the white water course during a training session ahead of the Canoe Slalom at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Photo / AP
Luuka Jones of New Zealand on the white water course during a training session ahead of the Canoe Slalom at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Photo / AP
Luuka Jones is through to the Olympic women's canoe slalom final.
The 27-year-old Tauranga paddler picked up two penalties for a time of 108.05 seconds to qualify seventh-fastest for the 10-strong final at the Whitewater Stadium in Rio.
Austrian Corinna Kuhnle topped the qualifiers with a penalty-free 101.54 run.
Threedays ago, Jones produced two quality runs in the heats to qualify fourth-fastest for the semis.
Fellow Kiwi Mike Dawson finished 10th in his final yesterday, clocking 93.07 to finish nearly five seconds astray of British winner Joe Clarke.
Jones was leading but was narrowly beaten by Spaniard Maialen Chourraut who took gold.
The 27-year-old Jones is at her third Olympics, having been eliminated in the heats at Beijing in 2008, and making the K-1 semifinals in London four years ago when she finished 14th.