Tokyo gold medallists Tom Green, Jean van der Westhuyzen win World Cup in only pre-Olympic hitout

They were surprise Olympic champions in Tokyo and have had the distance of their pet event halved since the last Games but an Aussie pair have shown they will be the ones to beat again in Paris with a World Cup win.

Tom Green and Jean van der Westhuyzen win the men’s K2 500 final at the World Cup in Szeged, Hungary. Picture: Bence Vekassy

Australia’s kayakers have shown why they are among the greatest threats for medals in Paris this year after snaring five at the canoe sprint World Cup and paracanoe world championships.

Defending Olympic champions Tom Green and Jean van der Westhuyzen won the men’s K2 500m final in Hungary when they stormed home to show that they will be the men to beat in Paris.

“We’ve lined up in this event so many times and we’ve been on the podium before but we hadn’t got that top step yet, so our patience has paid off today,” Green said.

Van der Westhuyzen said the past two years had been spent trying to figure out what kind of race plan would work for the pair.

van der Westhuyzen and Green celebrate their Men's Kayak Double 1000m Final win in Tokyo. Picture: Getty Images

“We’ve had some close races and some races where we’ve been pretty disappointed,’ Jean van der Westhuyzen said of the 500m, which is now the Olympic distance in the K2 but just half what they tackled to win gold in Tokyo.

“So to have a good race this year, leading into the Games, it’s great but we still have weeks of hard work to go so that we can be even better in Paris.”

The K4 crew of Riley Fitzsimmons, Jackson Collins, Pierre van der Westhuyzen and Noah Havard won the silver medal, which was a strong improvement on last year’s fifth placing at the world championships.

“It’s been a pretty long runway into this World Cup,” two-time Olympian Fitzsimmons said of the result at the Aussies’ first and only World Cup hitout before the Games.

“The four of us have come a really long way from where we were last year so it’s a good little confidence boost, this result, and the next 12 weeks are going to be really important.

“It lets us know that we can do it, we’re right there in the medals, and it’s going to make us really hungry as we continue to build into Paris.”

Alyce Wood wins the women’s K1 1000m final at the World Cup in Szeged, Hungary. Picture: Bence Vekassy

Alyce Wood will race the Olympic distance K1 500m on Mother’s Day but is making hay while away from daughter Florence this preparation by stepping on top of the dais in the K1 1000m.

“I’m very happy with that result,” Wood said. “I haven’t done the 1000m in a long time.

“I won worlds in 2017, so it’s good to be back.

“My 500m race plan is all about having some really good, long strokes, so the 1000m is the perfect way to practise that.

“To come out with the win gives me great confidence leading into the 500m and the middle part of my race. I’m very, very happy.”

Triple Paralympic gold medallist Curtis McGrath snared his 12th world championship crown in the KL2 kayak class in Hungary late on Friday night before adding a bronze medal in the va’a canoe on Saturday night.

“It’s nice to have this hitout before the (Paralympic) Games,” McGrath said.

“I think we find where our weaknesses are, find where our strengths are.

“Finding where those weaknesses are so we can get into the next block of training and really work towards the Paris Games in a few months.”

Curtis McGrath (R) with his bronze medal in the VL3 Men 200m Final. Picture: Getty Images

McGrath will join his teammates in Europe just before the Games.

He is leaving Australia later than the rest of the team to ensure he is with wife Rachael when she gives birth to their first child in July.

So being able to set down a marker ahead of time is a massive boost for the man who will captain Australia’s Paralympic team with athletics representative Angie Ballard.

Dual Paralympic medallist Susan Seipel also won bronze in the VL2, while Dylan Littlehales took silver in the KL3 final after winning the world championship last year.