Ironwoman wins canoe ocean world title ahead of Coolangatta Gold
When Central Coast surf star Jemma Smith lines up at the start of the Coolangatta Gold she will be in a class of her own after a season of overseas success.
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Surf star Jemma Smith will have the unique distinction of having represented Australia in two different sports when she hits the start line of a third next month.
Smith, preparing for the Coolangatta Gold in October, won gold for Australia at the Canoe Ocean Racing world championships in France last week.
One of 20 women competing in this season’s professional Nutri-Grain ironwoman series, Smith raced off with gold in the under 23 women’s division at the world championships in Saint-Pierre de Quiberon.
Smith finished fourth overall in a top-class open field boasting Olympians and world champions. But she said the win was a little surprising.
“I had absolutely no idea where I was. At about the 4km mark everybody split and went their own way, and from then you have no idea where anyone is,” Smith said. “You just hope you’ve picked the right line and you’ll end up at the finish.”
The Avoca Kayak Club and Umina surf life saving member is also making strides on the international scene in canoe sprint, cracking the A-final in the U23 K1 1000 at the world titles last month.
“I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to represent my country in two different sports over the past few months,’’ Smith said.
“For me, both kayaking and ocean ski results are a bit hard to compare and are special for different reasons.
“They are both something that I really enjoy though and I hope I get the chance to do again in the future.’’
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