Luuka Jones of New Zealand. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand white water paddler Luuka Jones has won her first ever World Cup title.
Jones, who is set to compete in her fifth Olympic Games next year, won the women's kayak cross final at the Paris Canoe Slalom World Cup regatta.
Fellow New Zealander Finn Butcher finished second in the men's final behind Frenchman Boris Neveu.
Jones displayed perfect kayak cross technique throughout the lead-up races, and held that form to beat Great Britain's Kimberley Woods and Australia's Jessica Fox.
Incredibly it was the first ever world cup gold medal for Jones in a career which has spanned five Olympic cycles. It also comes after missing most of the 2022 season with Covid-related illness.
"I've waited a long time for this, but it feels good," Jones said.
"It's my first world cup gold in over ten years of racing, and I think considering the year I had last year it's been amazing. I didn't expect it to be honest, I just went through the rounds and I had a really good plan, so I guess it just happened.
"I feel healthy now, and if anything I'm just grateful to be back and grateful to be healthy. It feels quite surreal because I didn't want to focus on trying to make five Olympics , I just wanted to perform at the world championships. If anyone had told me this when I was young I wouldn't have believed them."
Kayak Cross is an event where four paddlers race down the course at the same time.
Earlier in the regatta Jones finished fifth in the K1 event.
Last month Jones finished ninth in the K1 event at the world championships to qualify New Zealand a spot at next year's Olympics.