Young Kiwi kayakers shine at Oceania Championships in Auckland

Tauranga's Callum Gilbert on his way to topping men's K1 qualifying at the Oceania Canoe Slalom Championships. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

Callum Gilbert took down the world champion and a host of other world-class kayakers at the Oceania Canoe Slalom Championships in Auckland yesterday,but he was more concerned about where it puts him in the New Zealand frame.

The 22-year-old from Tauranga was the top qualifier in the men's K1 on the first day of racing at the Vector Wero Whitewater Park, posting a faultless run of 84.37s to edge top Australian Lucien Delfour by 0.56s.

Mathieu Biazizzo (France) was third in 85.48s, Kiwi Olympian Mike Dawson fourth in 85.62s and reigning world champion Ondrej Tunka (Czech Republic) was fifth, picking up a 2s penalty touch to finish in 86.64s.

Gilbert burst on to the world cup scene two years ago, making the semifinals at every round he attended, but endured a frustrating year last year.

"We did a lot of thinking about what could be going on because every run seemed to be the same story, but in the end we decided not to over-analyse things too much, put it down to experience and just get on with it," he said.

"It's been a long season of tough runs and it was nice to finally have a good one."

While Dawson's world championship performance - he finished seventh - means he is pre-selected for the international season, Gilbert is locked in a battle with fellow under-23 paddlers Finn Butcher, Alex Hawthorne, Zack Mutton and Jack Dangen for national team selection.

Olympian Luuka Jones had a good day on the water, qualifying second in the women's C1 (pictured) and third in the women's K1 at the Oceania Championships. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

"Our selections are quite tough this year - usually in the past we'd have a pretty good idea of who'd be in there but this year is still completely up in the air. It makes it very exciting racing and it's good to see where New Zealand is heading."

Adding to the burgeoning New Zealand ranks was an impressive effort from Rotorua 14-year-old George Snook, who made it through to the semifinals with a clean 98.83s time.

In the women's racing, Luuka Jones had the second-fastest raw time in K1 qualifying, though she picked up two two-second penalties to drop her back to third in 98.40s, behind Australian Rosalyn Lawrence (95.63s) and France's Camille Prigent (96.82s). World champion Jess Fox (Australia) was fourth, also picking up a penalty but breaking the minute-barrier with a 99s effort.

Jones also impressed in the women's C1, qualifying second, although Fox showed why she has won three world championships in the kneeling, single-bladed discipline by posting a time more than seven seconds faster than the talented New Zealander. Fox's younger sister Noemie was third-fastest, with Kiwis Jane Nicholas and Kelly Travers sixth and seventh respectively.

The championships conclude tomorrow.