My Experience at the ICF 2021 SUP World Championships in Hungary
When I decided I wanted to go to the ICF 2021 SUP World Championships, I didn’t anticipate still being in the midst of a global pandemic. Travelling in the current climate isn't easy, but flying with a very fragile 14' race board to a country where you're supposed to quarantine for ten days upon entry and then find your way to a town two hours from the airport felt almost impossible. Despite that, one of my goals this year was to race internationally and I was determined to make it happen. I travelled with Blue Ewer who was also competing for Team GB, and my boyfriend Jaime as support crew. After nearly more hiccups than my stress levels could cope with en route, we eventually made it to Balatonfüred in Hungary.
Training for the ICF World Championships wasn't easy. At the start of the year we were still in a national lockdown and at times I was doubting whether the travel restrictions between the UK and Hungary would relax. Luckily, as competitors we were exempt from quarantine in Hungary on arrival so long as we complied with Covid-19 testing regulations. I used Paddle Logger to track my training sessions, mixing things up and paddling both longer distances and short, fast intervals. I practiced lots of skills including my race starts and turns because I knew the bar would be high and many races at that level are made or lost on the turns. Over the months, it was reassuring to see the colours of those Paddle Logger traces where I practiced step back turns go from red to yellow and then yellow to green. I felt more confident knowing that my turns were gradually becoming faster and smoother.
Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Europe, it is nearly 50 miles in length and is a popular tourist destination. The 200m sprints and technical race were held along the shoreline where spectators could watch. The atmosphere was incredible. All of the athletes were preparing for their events, supporters were watching and cheering, there was a commentary booth with loud speakers and television screens displayed all around and the event was really well organised.
The 18.5km long distance race was my main focus. It was two laps of a triangle-shaped course. I wanted to have a really strong start to try to get into a good draft train and settle into a steady rhythm for the majority of the race before pushing again for the last few kilometres at the end. Unfortunately, the weather had different plans! The race was held on the windiest day of the competition and almost everyone found it difficult to draft in the two side-wind legs of the course. Lots of people were struggling and many fell in but luckily living by the coast and paddling regularly on the sea has its advantages and I was used to paddling my Starboard Sprint on choppy water so I managed to stay dry! I was drafted on the upwind leg of the course both times and it was nerve-wracking knowing that the people behind me had saved their energy for several kilometres whilst I had worked hard battling the headwind. I was confident that I could pull ahead after the first lap by putting in a harder pace for a few minutes after they lost my tail at the turning buoy. Towards the end of the final lap I felt strong and was able to catch up with some competitors ahead of me who were visibly getting tired. It paid off and I was able to finish in 13th position. To get a top 15 placing at the worlds was incredible. Straight away, I wanted to do it again. I loved every minute and had learned so much in those couple of hours of racing that I just wanted to do it again.
I was a little hesitant about the 200m sprint and 1km technical races, I knew I wasn’t as strong in those disciplines but I entered anyway and trained for them through the summer. I don't think I have ever done as many step back turns as I have done in the past few months!!! There was a full day of heats which determined who went on to the quarter- and semi-finals and then the A, B and C finals. I fell in during my heats for both the sprint and the technical race because of the choppy water and my nervous, wobbly legs, but luckily I was able to recover quickly and scraped through to the quarter-finals, and then the C finals for both disciplines. Again, I had no idea what to expect going into the finals so I wasn’t too nervous. I was hoping the 200m sprints would go well after winning the National 200m Sprint title two weeks beforehand but it was a totally different setup. Our boards were held in place on the start line by people lying on pontoons, there were no lanes which meant everyone was cutting each other up and the wash and chop was all over the place. At times it was impossible to get a paddle stroke in because boards were rubbing against each other and I wasn’t able to match my PB. In the end, I came 20th in the sprints and 19th in the technical which I was really pleased with.
It was great to look back at my Paddle Logger traces after the races. I can see by the way that the trace changes from green to yellow that I'm faster when I paddle on my right side than my left in the sprint, but I obviously struggle to keep in a straight line so that's something to work on for next year! During the technical race, I was pleased to see that I didn't lose too much time slowing for the turns and it was great to see how I'd managed to keep up my average pace despite turning around seven buoys!
Racing on Lake Balaton in Hungary at the World Championships was one of the best experiences ever. To be surrounded by some of the best stand up paddlers in the world, people from all different backgrounds both on the water and around the event site was so inspiring. I had no idea what to expect before the races started, I had done my best training but didn’t know how I would line up against the fastest in the world. I learned so much from being in that environment, I know my racing will improve as a result and I am already looking forward to the 2022 ICF World Championships in Gdynia, Poland.
For anyone else who is thinking about joining in with the racing next year I would say go for it! It's so much fun and a great learning experience if nothing else. I can see Team GB being even stronger in 2022.
In training for an event? Download Paddle Logger on the App Store to track your progress, and check out Race Ready, great for participating in Virtual Events!