Canoeist Jenny retains World Number 1 status

LUCAN canoeist Jenny Egan-Simmons capped off another terrific international season with the announcement by the International Canoe Federation that she has retained her status as World Number One.

For the third time in a row, Egan-Simmons has been named World Number One in the Women’s K1 5000m class after rounding out a successful season.

“It’s a very exciting time, and a nice way to end the year as the World Number One – I’m delighted,” Egan-Simmons told The Echo.

“It’s a wish and a dream come through to win the 10th Canoe Sprint World Cup medal of my career, in Poland and then to win the 3rd Canoe Sprint World Championship in Canada.

“What a journey it has been so far and I hope it continues to be. When you’re growing up you have a dream of getting on the World Championship podium.

“To make my first, a bronze in Portugal in 2018, my second last year, a silver in Denmark, and then a bronze again this year – I’m just so happy.

Jenny Egan-Simmons proudly holds the tri-colour

“It really comes down to my years and years of hard work that I’m finally reaping the rewards for all of that work, over the last few years.

“I love this sport, it’s my passion and my life has revolved around this sport.

“Like every sport, you have your ups and downs. But to finish off the season on top of the World Rankings… even as I’m saying it out loud, it sounds mad, I have to pinch myself.”

Ranking points are issued on whether canoeists start, and how they place at three events on the ICF Canoe Sprint World calendar.

Egan-Simmons claimed a superb bronze-medal win at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships K1 5000m in Halifax, Canada in August – earning her 82 ranking points.

The Lucan kayaker battled to the third Canoe Sprint World Championship of her career, finishing behind Germany’s Jule Hake and winner Emese Kohalmi of Hungary.

Egan ended up in top spot in the ranking after placing competing in all three, medalling in two, of the major competitions.

The other medal in which the Salmon Leap Canoeist earned came at the 2022 World Cup in Poznan, Poland, in May.

Having secured her very first World Cup podium back in 2010 when she clinched silver in Szeged, Hungary, Egan-Simmons took her Canoe Sprint World Cup medalling tally to double figures in Poland.

Clocking 24:21.34 in the K1 5000m final in Poznan, Jenny seized a bronze medal – the 10th World Cup medal of her career – and 82 points towards her world ranking.

At the 2022 World Cup in Racice, Czech Republic, The Echo 2021 Sports Star of the Year crossed the finish line in fourth place, with a time of 23:23.44 – just over four-seconds off a medal.

Although she did not make the podium, finishing in fourth garnered 74 ranking points for Egan-Simmons and ultimately, solidified her spot as World Number One once again.

Egan-Simmons first jumped into a kayak at the age of 8. The Lucan native won the British National Sprint and British National Marathon at Under 14 level.

The moment it all changed was racing in her first World Championships at just 16-years-old in 2003 and she has only grown in stature since then.

Jenny Egan-Simmons has been World Number One in the ICF Canoe Sprint World Rankings in 2019, 2021 and 2022 – three-in-a-row.

With no competition until April 2023 at the earliest, Jenny is back in the canoe on the River Liffey putting the ground work in ahead of the new season.