Butcher faultless, but off the pace at world champs

Otago paddler Finn Butcher navigates his way down the Penrith Whitewater Stadium course on the first day of the canoe slalom world championships on the outskirts of Sydney on Monday.

Butcher finished ninth in the kayak cross time trial, completing a faultless run but 2.72sec off the pace. 

Spanish paddler David Llorente won the men’s title and Alena Marx (Switzerland) the women’s, as the time trial version of kayak cross was officially staged at the world championships for the first time.

Butcher’s two main events, the K1 slalom and kayak cross head-to-head, follow later this week.