De Bilio Crowned Double World Champion in Argentina

After a day of challenging weather postponing racing, day three of the 2026 Paddle Worldwide Canoe Marathon World Championships brought a welcome change in conditions for athletes and spectators alike. Warm air and water temperatures, calm conditions and another packed crowd lining the course created an excellent atmosphere for a busy day of racing in Argentina. With organisers working through a packed programme to catch up previous postponements, racing was continuous for online viewers until the weather made one final appearance at the end of the day. Torrential rain swept across the course during the closing race of the Under 23 Men’s K1, briefly knocking out both the live stream and online commentary.

It proved to be a memorable day for the British team, headlined by an extraordinary double gold medal performance from Dianora De Bilio.

De Bilio (Royal Canoe Club) began her day in the K1 Junior Women Short Course Final having qualified fastest from her heat the previous day. A confident start saw her immediately find the side wash of Denmark’s Anderson as the pair quickly established themselves at the sharp end of the field. Congestion around the opening turn temporarily stretched the race, but by the first portage it was clear the title would likely be contested between the two season-long rivals.

The pair broke clear after a strong first portage and remained largely inseparable throughout the race. Anderson had gotten the better of De Bilio at the European Championships earlier in the season, while De Bilio had taken victory in the 5km at Olympic Hopes. When the sprint finally arrived, the British paddler launched her effort first, breaking Anderson in the closing metres to secure the Junior Women’s Short Course world title.

Only a few hours later she was back on the water for the Junior Women’s long course race, and once again immediately established herself amongst the leaders. A front group of ten gradually reduced throughout the opening laps, with De Bilio consistently featuring on the lead washes and taking her turns at the front. The decisive move came at the second portage as De Bilio, Anderson and Hungary’s Jambor broke clear.

When Anderson attempted to force a winning move before the final lap, De Bilio responded brilliantly, closing the gap with assistance from Italy’s Abascia and setting up another showdown. In a remarkable repeat of the morning’s race, Anderson led into the closing stages with De Bilio perfectly positioned on her wash. Once again, the British paddler timed her sprint to perfection, powering past to claim her second gold medal of the day and earn the title of double World Champion. 

The paracanoe races delivered further success for the British team. Tim Lodge (Wey Kayak Club) produced an outstanding race in the KL3 Men’s event to secure his first World Championship medal. A strong start saw him establish himself on the front washes, staying with the lead group through the opening stages despite the constant changes in pace. As the race developed and the front group gradually moved away from him, Lodge settled into third place and focused on securing the bronze medal in a time of 00:57:46.

Jeanette Chippington (Bisham Paddlesports) also claimed a world title in the VL2 Women’s race. Although the only athlete in her classification, she still had the challenge of racing alongside competitors from other categories. A strong start allowed her to establish a good rhythm before using the boats around her as pacing markers on her way to claiming the VL2 world title for the second consecutive year.

The short course finals also produced a string of impressive British performances. In the K1 Senior Men’s Final, James Russell (Chelmsford Canoe Club) and Will Short (Elmbridge Canoe Club) both showed they are amongst the world’s best. Russell got away strongly and quickly secured a position in the lead group, while Short faced a more difficult route from his start position and was forced to work hard to move up the field.

An excellent final portage brought Short back alongside Russell in the chase group, and both produced strong finishes in a race that saw South Africa’s Lovemore end Portugal’s Pimenta’s long reign at the top. Russell crossed the line eighth, with Short ninth, a particularly impressive result given it is his first season racing outside the junior ranks.

Earlier in the day, Beth Gill (Nottingham Kayak Club) was left wondering what might have been in the C1 Senior Women’s Short Course Final. The former world champion and European Championship medallist made a fast start and immediately placed herself amongst the leading contenders, only for a capsize as the race groups merged.

Undeterred, Gill launched an immediate recovery effort, working her way through the field at rapid pace. By the second turn she had already regained multiple positions, eventually securing eighth place with the winner only 51 seconds ahead. Gill will have another opportunity to challenge for the medals in the long course event on Sunday.

Will Roeser (Wey Kayak Club) rounded out the short course results for the British team in the K1 Junior Men’s Final. The European Champion faced a particularly competitive field that included several athletes who had returned to marathon racing after focusing on international sprint competition earlier in the season. A difficult start left him chasing positions early on, but a determined effort saw him steadily move through the field to finish tenth as he turned his attention to Saturday’s long course event.

One of the standout performances of the long course programme today came from Bella Keane (Richmond Canoe Club), who stepped up to race in the Under 23 Women’s C1 event after competing in the junior category the previous day. Despite being significantly younger than most of her rivals, Keane flew off the start line and immediately established herself in the front group of six.

As the race developed with the two Hungarian athletes breaking clear, Keane found herself battling for positions just outside the top five. She held her place throughout to finish seventh overall, delivering an impressive performance against athletes several years older and gaining valuable experience at the international level.

The final British race of the day belonged to Will Short (Elmbridge Canoe Club) in the Under 23 Men’s K1 long course. Having already finished ninth in the world in the senior short course final just hours earlier, Short returned to the water as the weather dramatically deteriorated. Torrential rain hammered the course, creating difficult conditions for athletes and organisers alike.

Short made an excellent start and quickly found himself on the front wash before taking up the lead heading towards the top turn. With some of the race favourites scrapping for position behind him, the race was unfolding exactly as he would have hoped. Unfortunately, illness began to take its toll and he slipped from the lead group approaching the first portage before being forced to withdraw.

Attention now turns to another packed day of racing, with several British paddlers set to contest more long course events. Make sure you tune in to cheer on the team.

Full results are available via the Memosoft app. Follow our social media channels for behind-the-scenes content from Argentina, while all racing throughout the week will be streamed live via the Planet Canoe YouTube channel. Further viewing information can be found on our website post here.