Frome canoeist Jas Wilde competed on the world stage at last week’s Junior World Championships in Krakow, Poland, narrowly missing out on a place in the final.
The 18-year-old finished 16th in the women’s canoe semi-final after a challenging run on a demanding course.
“I suppose 16th in the world isn’t bad!” said Jas, who trains on the River Frome with Frome Canoe Club. “It’s really tough racing canoe slalom; we don’t get a practice on the course which is set, so we have to plan how we are going to negotiate the gates and the whitewater in the fastest possible time.”
Competing in both kayak and canoe disciplines, Jas encountered mixed fortunes. In the kayak event, a marginal judging call proved costly. “I made a very slight mistake; although my head went between the poles on a tricky gate, it was judged that no part of my boat did at the same time. Although my time was fast enough, the penalty meant I missed out on progressing to the semi-final,” she said.
She adjusted her approach for the canoe event and successfully progressed to the semi-finals. However, a difficult section of the course ultimately affected her time. “The course that had been set was extremely tough, but I made a good plan which I followed. Unfortunately I struggled to break through a very grabby stopper wave halfway down which cost me about six seconds. Without this I would have made the final and been in contention for the medals.”
Jas is now looking forward to the Junior European Championships which take place in Epinal, France next month, where she hopes familiarity with the course will work to her advantage.
“I’ve spent a fair amount of time on the course in Epinal,” said Jas, who is supported by Trowbridge Garden Centre. “I raced a senior world ranking race there last year and I performed well, so I’m really looking forward to it. The whitewater is quite similar to Cardiff where I train each week in the Winter, so I think that gives me an advantage.”
The championships,
which take place between the 5th and 9th August, will be live streamed on the Paddle Europe YouTube channel which can be viewed for free. Jas will be racing in qualification on the 5th and 6th, with semi-finals and finals being held on 7th and 8th.
To find out more about canoeing in Frome visit frome-canoe-club.co.uk
