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On a hot and sunny day in Penrith, more than 100 athletes took to the Penrith Whitewater Stadium course for an action packed day of racing at the 2025 Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships.
With the races won and day, champions across the kayak (K1) and canoe (C1) categories were crowned.
OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS FOX AND BUTCHER CLAIM OCEANIA KAYAK CROWNS
Paris Olympic champions Jessica Fox (AUS) and Finn Butcher (NZL) have been crowned Oceania Champions on the second day of racing at the 2025 Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships in Penrith.
After a long day of racing yesterday in the canoe and kayak heats, Fox was eager to impress on her home course, which will also host the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in October.
Fox crossed the line in a time of 104.41 to claim the win, ahead of Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska in second, and France’s Camille Prigent in third.
“It was good to be out there, to be back on the start line at the start of the year, and feel good,” Fox said.
“I wasn’t really sure how I was going to feel, but I attacked it and I’m proud of myself so far this weekend.
“It’s always a great time of year having international athletes come out and do their winter preparations here.
“With the World Championships here in October, we’re seeing more athletes come out , so it’s awesome to be sharing the start line with them, training sessions, and being back altogether.
“It feels like it was a long time ago since the last international race, so I’m loving it,” she said.
In the men’s kayak final, Frenchman Mathieu Biazizzo was the fastest paddler down the course, but ineligible to win the Oceania crown.
Paris Olympic champion Finn Butcher finished second, and as the highest placed Oceania athlete took it out, with 2x Australian Olympian Lucien Delfour rounding out the podium in third.
“It was an interesting race – I was probably not overly well prepared for it. I’ve been in a big training block, just getting back into it after having a bit of a break after the Olympics,” Butcher said.
“But it’s good fun to be back out here. I think I’ve been coming here since I was 14 so it’s cool.
“My heat and semi final were a bit messy, had a couple of touches in each run, and then managed to squeeze my way into the final and I had a pretty good run in the final so I was happy,” he said.
WOMEN’S KAYAK FINAL
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Jessica FOX (AUS) – Oceania Champion
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Klaudia ZWOLINSKA (POL)
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Camille PRIGENT (FRA)
MEN’S KAYAK FINAL
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Mathieu BIAZIZZO (FRA)
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Finn BUTCHER (NZL) – Oceania Champion
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Lucien DELFOUR (AUS)
For full results – click here
OLYMPIC MEDALISTS AND AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIAN FINISH ON CANOE PODIUM
Paris Olympic silver medalist Adam Burgess (GBR) has taken out the men’s canoe final at the 2025 Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships.
Despite incurring a two second penalty for a touch on gate 15, Burgess recorded the quickest final time in today’s men’s canoe final, ahead of Dmitrii Khramtsov (AIN) in second and Australian Olympian Tristan Carter in third.
As the highest placed Oceania athlete, Carter wins the men’s canoe Oceania crown.
“I was stoked that I was able to hold it together – although the actual run itself wasn’t that great, I ended up doing a couple of spins where I didn’t really want to” Carter said.
“But I’m really happy, even though I didn’t perform how I wanted to. And that’s a sign of maturity, that’s growth and I’m really happy with that.
“It’s still a big check for me and I’m really happy to come away with the Oceania championship and third overall – it all worked out in the end,” he said.
Backing up after this morning’s kayak finals, Olympic champion Jessica Fox finished second in the women’s canoe final behind Olympic bronze medalist Evy Leibfarth (USA), with Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska rounding out the podium in third.
WOMEN’S CANOE FINAL
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Evy Leibfarth (USA)
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Jessica Fox (AUS) – Oceania Champion
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Klaudia Zwolinska (POL)
MEN’S KAYAK FINAL
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Adam Burgess (GBR)
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Dmitrii Khramtsov (AIN)
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Tristan Carter (AUS) – Oceania Champion
For full results – click here
LOOKING AHEAD
The Oceania Championships is an important one on the 2025 calendar, as it doubles as the first of two selection events for the 2025 Australian Senior team which will compete on the World Cup circuit, and the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, which will be staged down under from 1-6 October 2025.
Athletes will return to the course at Penrith Whitewater Stadium from 9am AEDT tomorrow for the Kayak Cross heats through to finals.