New Zealand's junior and under-23 kayakers have wrapped up one of the country's most successful campaigns at this level, with Jacqueline Kennedy making history at the 2026 ICF Junior & U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Halifax, Canada.
Kennedy claimed gold in the Junior Women's K1 500m, becoming the first New Zealand junior world champion in canoe sprint.
The wider team backed her up with a string of competitive finishes across both the junior and U23 divisions. Kennedy was also part of the Junior Women's K4 500m crew alongside Stella Crossan, Alexis Toy, and Taylor Newman, which finished fourth. Crossan and Toy combined to finish seventh in the Junior Women's K2 500m.
Thomas MacGibbon was the standout in the U23 men's competition, finishing seventh in the K1 200m, while his sister Natasha MacGibbon placed eighth in the U23 Women's K1 1000m. Madison Garrett and Olive Pearce added an eighth in the U23 Women's K2 500m.
Taylor Newman reached the A final in the Junior Women's K1 200m, finishing ninth. The U23 Men's K4 crew of Dylan Monk, Tiago Chamberlain, Sam Lees, and Reid Clancy also placed ninth.
Lachlan Harkness and Oliver Hutchinson took tenth in the Junior Men's K2 500m. Further finishes came through the relay events and individual K1 distances, with Sam Lees 14th in the U23 Men's K1 500m, Reid Clancy 15th in the U23 Men's K1 1000m, Lachlan Harkness 16th in the Junior Men's K1 1000m, and Madison Garrett 18th in the U23 Women's K1 500m.
Coaches Emily Willock and Leigh Barker, along with team manager Steve Vaughan, deserve credit for the work they put in to make the campaign such a success.
