BOY OH BOY, WHAT A DAY FOR COAST DUO
A YEAR after her surprise Olympic debut with K2 partner Alyssa Bull, Gold Coaster Alyce Burnett has raced to gold in the K1 at the canoe sprint world championships on the same day as her boyfriend.
“How cool is that, we are both going home world champions,” said Burnett after partner Jordan Wood won gold in the K4 at the world championship regatta in the Czech Republic.
Despite limited international experience in the event, Burnett took control of her K1 race early which proved a winning tactic.
“That’s what I came here to do, I came here to win it,” Burnett said.
“I haven’t done to many 1000s internationally, so I wasn’t sure where I was going to sit.
“Coming through the 500 I was a fair way in front, and to be honest I had a bit of a thought ‘maybe I’ve gone out too hard here’.
“But the last 20 I knew I just had to stay in my boat and I had it. It was an amazing feeling, crossing the line first.”
Also securing gold was the K4 1000 crew of Ken Wallace, Riley Fitzsimmons, Murray Stewart and Wood.
The win in the boat which has been dropped from the Olympic program was Wallace’s sixth world title medal.
A former surf lifesaver, Burnett, originally from the Sunshine Coast, now trains on the Gold Coast and made her Olympic debut in Rio.