Russell and Roeser Fight to World Championship Sixth in Thrilling K2 Finale

The 2026 Paddle Worldwide Canoe Marathon World Championships came to a close in Argentina with another day of impressive British performances, highlighted by Beth Gill’s fourth-place finish in the Senior Women’s C1 and a sixth-place result for James Russell and Will Roeser in the Senior Men’s K2.

Overnight, rising river levels slightly altered the course, shortening the portages at either end and presenting a fresh challenge for the final day of racing in Argentina.

The concluding race of both the day and the championships was the Senior Men’s K2, where Russell (Chelmsford Canoe Club) and Roeser (Wey Kayak Club) lined up alongside Will Short (Elmbridge Canoe Club) and Alex Worgan (Richmond Canoe Club) in a field packed with world and European medallists. Both British crews found themselves caught for top-end speed off the start and immediately had work to do to establish position within the large lead group.

Short and Worgan opted for a tactical route wide left, using the larger wash to move onto the side of the group while avoiding the congestion and collisions developing closer to the bank. Russell and Roeser, meanwhile, found themselves battling in the turbulent back washes of the lead pack, gradually working their way into more favourable positions. As the field approached the first turn, Short and Worgan lost contact with the leaders alongside South Africa’s Lovemore and Vogt. However, they benefitted from the charge through the field by European champions Boros and Erdelyi, using the Hungarian wash to regain contact before enduring a tense half-lap battle to secure a sustainable position within the group.

Russell and Roeser were forced into an even tougher route back. After slipping into a series of chase groups behind the leaders, they narrowly missed the opportunity to follow the Hungarians through but refused to let the front group disappear. Through sheer persistence, they clawed their way back into contention and successfully rejoined the leaders on the approach to the second-lap top turn.

The race continued to ebb and flow as relentless pace changes stretched the field. While Short and Worgan eventually lost touch with the front group and turned their attention to working through dropped crews, Russell and Roeser remained firmly in the fight at the front.

A chaotic first portage fragmented the lead group further and briefly left the British pair detached once again. Undeterred, they used a Norwegian wash to regain contact before launching one of the most impressive moves of the race. Powering hard left after the navigation buoy, they surged through the field and established themselves near the front of the lead group. Another strong portage elevated them further, and for a significant period they looked increasingly comfortable amongst the world’s best crews.

As the race entered its closing stages, the pace began to fluctuate and the chase group containing Short and Worgan started to regain ground. Brief contact was made after the third-to-last portage, only for another acceleration to split the race once more.

The decisive moment came at the second-to-last portage when an attack by Danish crew Jorgensen and Hansen fractured the lead group. Russell and Roeser found themselves just off the front alongside Portugal’s Ramalho and Pimenta and Norway’s Vold and Buch. Yet even then they refused to concede. A huge effort almost brought them back into contention before the penultimate turn and set up one final push to the finish.

A gutsy final portage and committed last lap secured sixth place overall, finishing ahead of the previous world champions, only 30 seconds behind the winners and capping one of Britain’s strongest performances of the championship week. This result is particularly impressive as Roeser is still a junior, having finished in the top ten of that category the previous day. 

Short and Worgan also closed their championship strongly. They secured a highly encouraging eleventh place in their first Senior World Championship K2 campaign together, hopefully providing momentum for future years to come.

Earlier in the day, Beth Gill (Nottingham Kayak Club) delivered one of the grittiest performances of the championships in the Senior Women’s C1. As she had done earlier in the week, Gill exploded off the start line and immediately established herself amongst the race leaders. A decisive move by Chile’s Maillard approaching the first turn stretched the field, while a minor collision forced Gill to drop back. The setback did little to dent her determination. Gill worked tirelessly through the wide sections of the river to reconnect with the medal battle, finding herself alongside C1 legend Babak and Hungary’s Matkovics in the chase for silver and bronze.

However, the top turn repeatedly proved costly. On both occasions Gill lost contact with the group, only to respond by taking the most direct lines to the navigation buoys and steadily hauling herself back into contention. A strong portage and sustained effort once again brought her back to the medal battle, but one final split at the turn ultimately proved decisive.

Despite refusing to give in until the finish, Gill was unable to bridge back across during the closing laps and crossed the line fourth in the world, narrowly missing out on the podium after a brave and determined performance.

The Senior Women’s K2 saw Katie Brookes (Richmond Canoe Club) and junior world champion Dianora De Bilio (Royal Canoe Club) line up after an already demanding week of racing. Starting from the less favourable right-hand side of the pontoon, the British crew faced an immediate challenge to reach the lead group despite making a strong start.

Settling into a chase alongside Denmark’s Nielsen and Hostrup, Brookes and De Bilio gradually worked their way back towards Ireland’s Caffey and Cullen before joining forces for much of the seven-lap contest. Following a week that had already included double junior world gold for De Bilio, the pair added another solid senior performance to finish thirteenth overall.

As the championships drew to a close, the British team could reflect on a successful week in Argentina. Junior world titles and multiple top-ten finishes across a range of classes demonstrated both the current strength and future potential of British canoe marathon racing internationally. The atmosphere throughout the week showcased the very best of international marathon competition, and as the curtain falls on the 2026 season, there are certainly plenty of reasons for optimism heading into 2027.

To see all of the British results over the week, visit the memosoft results page here. If you have missed any of the races, they are all available via the Planet Canoe Youtube channel now.