2017 ICF FREESTYLE WORLDS – DAY4 WOMEN PRELIM AND C1 MEN + FULL RESULTS

Jackson and Takaku the athletes to beat in San Juan…

Dane Jackson is showing the form to win another golden double at the 2017 ICF Freestyle Kayak World Championships, after posting the highest score in the preliminary round of the C1 event in Argentina on Thursday morning.

And Japan’s Hitomi Takaku has thrown down the challenge to Jackson’s sister, Emily, in the women’s K1, finishing almost 300 points ahead of the defending world champion after the preliminary round.

Takaku, who won a World Cup event at the same San Juan venue last year, notched up 1306.67 points compared to Jackson’s 1013.33.

“I’m really happy,” Takaku said.

“It was nice for me out there today. The competition is very exciting.

“I had to change my plan just a little bit, and I’ll try for bigger loops in the final.”

France’s Marlene Devillez posted the highest single run of the day, finishing third with a 1010 total.

Dane Jackson Finishing on top spot at both K1 and C1 prelims ©Peter Holcombe/ICF/Kayaksession.com

Dane Jackson followed up his chart-topping performance in the K1 less than 24 hours earlier with 1936.66 points in the C1, ahead of Frenchman Sebastien Devred on 1796.67, and Czech Lukas Cervinka on 1721.67.

23-year-old Jackson has dominated freestyle kayak in recent years, and won the K1/C1 double at the 2015 World Championships in Ottawa, Canada.

Cervinka is expected to be one of the main challengers for the C1 gold on Saturday, after winning the past three European titles.

“Before each competition I feel really good, I don’t feel stress anymore,” Cervinka said.

“There’s not much difference competing here than in the Europeans, but it is better here. There are a lot of really good people here.”

Emily Jackson said she felt her runs went well.

“I feel pretty good, it’s a day-by-day, cut-by-cut. You can’t win until you’re in the finals so the goal is just to get there,” Jackson said.

“I felt like I performed my tricks really well, but the scores didn’t really reflect that.”

2017 ICF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS K1 WOMEN PRELIMS RESULTS (TOP20 MOVE TO QUARTER FINALS)