Olympian Tom Green returns as siblings, surf stars, Next Gen kayakers star at canoe sprint GPII

Siblings won major titles, young guns from surf life saving made waves and a kayak champion began his quest for a third Olympic medal at the Paddle Australia canoe sprint Grand Prix II. WRAP

Olympic paddler Tom Green. Credit JGRImages/Paddle Australia

Siblings won major titles, young guns from surf life saving made waves and a kayak champion began his quest for a third Olympic medal at the Paddle Australia canoe sprint Grand Prix II at Penrith over the weekend.

Tokyo Olympic K2 1000m champion Tom Green, who won a bronze in the K2 500m in Paris, retuned to racing after a break for a quick victory in the K1 500m final ahead of Jackson Collins and Maguire Reid.

Her then backed up with Paris Olympian and Gold Coaster Pierre Van Der Westhuyzen to defeat Reid and Collins for victory in the K2 500m.

While the majority of his teammates from the Paris Olympics are taking a break, Green said he would spend 2025 “building the platform” for his LA Olympic campaign in 2028.

“It’s always nice to come back here and go back to wanting to perform really well but also relaxing a little bit enjoying the time with your friends,’’ said Green.

Olympic paddler Tom Green. Credit JGRImages/Paddle Australia

In a major victory for a rising star of the sport – and surf life saving – Natalia Drobot beat a field of Paris Olympians to win the women’s K1 500 final ahead of Ella Beere and Aly Bull.

Drobot and Claudia Bailey from Currumbin Creek – great rivals in the surf but teammates in kayaking – then won the women’s open K2 500 from Bull and Alexandra Clarke with Beere and Samantha Lourey third.

Drobot then finished off a great event with victory in the K1 200 on Sunday.

In another race showcasing the youth of the sport, Victorian Charlie Cromwell beat Byron Dieckmann, also a talented surf life saver, from the Sunshine Coast, and Jerome Drobot from Avoca to win the U18 K1 500.

Drobot is the younger brother of Natalia, already identified as one of the hottest emerging talents in the sport.

Young paddler Olivia Clues. Credit JGRImages/Paddle Australia

The Avoca pair of Kaelan Montgomery and Drobot then won the U18 K2 500 from Byron Dieckmann and Tom Messenger.

Sunshine Coast paddler Dieckmann then broke through to win the U18 KWSW 1000, race in which iron man Craig Reddington’s son Will finished third.

Surf ironwoman Olivia Clues from Sydney Northern Beaches beat Avoca’s Emily Rose for the U18 K1 500 title.

“The goal for me is to make the junior team,’’ said Clues, just 18.

“Since November I have really locked down on the kayaking.’’

Riley Scott from Currumbin Creek and Orlando Fonseca from Western Australia won the U16

Young paddler Jerome Drobot, the brother of gun Natalia,. Credit JGRImages/Paddle Australia

K2 500m final with Victorians Abbey Osborne and Jessie Yu from Fairfield in Victoria defeating Avoca pair Ashley and Ella Pegrum in the U16 K2 500.

Scott then beat his teammate Fonseca for the U16 K1 500 title on Sunday.

In other top results, Samantha Lourey beat Illawarra‘s Jasmine Locke and Phoebe Wills-Grace from the Sunshine Coast in the K1 500.

The Western Australian pairing of Zoe Moore and Claudia Ketteringham won the U18 K2 500 from Amelia Dooney and Clues.

Ketteringham also won the U18 K1 200 crown from Clues, a professional iron woman.

Victorian duo Abbey Osborne and Jessie Yu won the U16 K2 200 with Riley Scott and Orlando Fonseca won the U16 K2 200 from the Avoca pair of Tor Manor and Brodie Frew.

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Originally published as Olympian Tom Green returns as siblings, surf stars, Next Gen kayakers star at canoe sprint GPII