Welcome to kayak cross - the chaotic new Olympic event

The gates open. That is astir nan only certainty.

There is nan briefest infinitesimal of serenity earlier they do. A clip for heavy breaths to calm quickly beating hearts arsenic nan adrenaline soars.

Then, each hellhole breaks loose.

What unfolds aft nan ramp-drop is move upset - a confused kaleidoscope of brightly coloured boats powered by paddles brandished frantically, tearing done unforgiving achromatic water.

It is brutal, full-contact, high-octane nosy which, for bully measure, demands competitors must besides submerge themselves to complete a 360-degree vessel roll.

And, astatine nan extremity of it all, Britain's Kimberley Woods is nan kayak transverse world champion.

"Hectic. Absolutely hectic. That’s what I emotion truthful overmuch astir it - you ne'er cognize what is going to happen," Woods, 28, tells BBC Sport.

"You will ever person nan favourites successful nan title and you cognize they are very beardown contenders.

“But truthful galore things tin spell wrong. So galore things tin happen, some successful position of your ain plans and different paddlers intruding connected them."

That Woods, who claimed her first individual world title astatine Lee Valley past September, has small consciousness of what will hap astatine Paris 2024 is simply a fitting tribute to canoeing's latest Olympic addition.

The canoe and kayak singles stay nan individual races against nan timepiece arsenic seen astatine Tokyo 2020, but this clip they are complemented successful nan programme by nan eye-catching kayak cross, which pits 4 athletes successful nonstop competition.

Upstream and downstream gates must still beryllium navigated and velocity remains important - but not arsenic paramount arsenic velocity of thought successful a fast-changing landscape.

All courtesies are near connected nan commencement statement earlier nan boats do battle, colliding many times arsenic they conflict for nan champion line, and often ruining nan best-laid plans.

"I emotion that it is truthful inconsistent successful a measurement that you conscionable don't cognize what is going to happen," Woods says.

"You can't scheme for anything. You tin only scheme to respond successful nan moment.

"Hopefully you are capable to respond good and make bully decisions successful nan moment. That is 1 of my strengths - I'm instinctive, which is astir apt why I'm bully astatine it."

Woods will beryllium portion of a Team GB canoeing squad afloat of badge imaginable successful Paris, alongside Olympic medallists Joseph Clarke and Mallory Franklin, and Adam Burgess - who missed retired connected nan Tokyo podium by 0.16 seconds.

Despite nan anticipated chaos, Woods will dream to replicate her kayak transverse world golden - and will besides compete successful nan women's kayak singles (K1), successful which she vanished 10th connected her Olympic debut 3 years ago.

Her breakthrough triumph, achieved successful beforehand of a location crowd past year, was an affectional accomplishment for Woods, who has flooded superior intelligence wellness issues to scope a 2nd Games.

Woods, who pursued canoeing from a young property aft watching a video of her aunt - herself a world inferior medallist, told BBC Sport in 2020 she had flooded slump and self-harm, which she linked to being bullied arsenic a child.

Sport offered an flight - and it has taken her to nan apical of nan world.

"It is thing that has been a dream since I was a junior," says Woods.

"I decidedly watch nan last backmost if I'm emotion a spot down. It makes maine realise really acold I’ve travel and really large that accomplishment was. I get those aforesaid feelings again and that will stay recorded connected my TV for galore years."

Woods, who besides won nan wide kayak transverse World Cup title past year, continued her Paris preparations pinch bronze astatine nan canoe slalom World Cup successful Krakow successful June.

The kayak transverse competitions statesman successful Paris connected 3 August astatine Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, pinch an first time-trial information to find nan heats.

With Olympic acquisition to telephone upon and grounds she tin triumph awesome titles, Woods will beryllium fresh arsenic she waits for nan gates to unfastened - and nan mayhem to start.

"The belief was location successful Tokyo, but it is decidedly location now. It benignant of scares maine a small spot to deliberation what could hap - successful a bully way," says Woods.

"There is that soul pressure, knowing I tin spell retired location and triumph each race, but it's much wanting to than needing to - I deliberation there's a large quality betwixt those 2 things."

Contemplating what it would mean to triumph Olympic gold, Woods adds: "I'll beryllium perfectly distraught. Everything would conscionable travel out. I was crying astatine nan apical of nan podium successful London aft wining nan worlds. I'm hoping I will beryllium much composed - but location will astir apt beryllium immoderate disfigured photos of maine crying happy tears.

"It would beryllium a bully infinitesimal to realise that each nan effort, tears, wounded and ups and downs person been worthy it."