At Kurrawa in the National Youth Teams, Australia took almost all before them, winning 11 of the 12 finals before South Africa took out the Women’s Beach Relay in the last event of the day.

Jasmine Rayward, who made her IronWoman Series debut last season and has two World Junior Kayak titles to her name, had a fantastic day out, winning the Surf Race before backing it up to take out the Oceanwoman event. In doing so she led home Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park club mate Charlotte Hart who finished second for Great Britain.

After sharing an embrace at the finish line, Rayward was happy with the win but ecstatic to share the podium with Hart.

“It’s amazing to have your best friend come second to you at Worlds – I’m just so happy,” Rayward said, fighting back tears. “If I was going to be beaten I wouldn’t have wanted it to be anyone other than Charlotte – she’s just so amazing.

Hart too couldn’t have been happier to follow Rayward into the finishing arch in front of a vocal GB contingent at Kurrawa.

“That was amazing – I train with Jazzy every day – I wouldn’t want to be second behind anyone else,” she said. “She’s so amazing and it’s just so good to be able to train with my best friend every day and then to race and come one-two at worlds – it’s an amazing feeling.”

In all, Rayward scored four wins on Thursday, forming part of the victorious Australian teams in the Women’s Rescue Tube Rescue and Oceanwoman Relay.

Riley Brennan scored a solid victory in the Men’s Surf Race with teammate Ethan Callaghan in third, before Callaghan took out the Oceanman in an Aussie one-two with Henry Simpson.

“Always different doing the M-shaped course, but I loved it,” said Callaghan. “That was such a good race – so happy that Henry came second as well – Aussies on top.”

“The sweep right now is pretty mad. It’s just fully going to the right and it made it really difficulty but you just need to execute a perfect race and I think I did that.”

Earlier, Callaghan and Simpson had combined to win the Men’s Board Rescue, with the pair teaming with Brennan and Kobe Sorenson in the victorious Oceanman Relay.

In the men’s sprint, Sorenson took the win before leading Australia to victory in the Beach Relay. 

Mischa Boniface won the women’s beach sprint in a perilously close finish from Eve Abrahams, however the South African was a lightning rod for her team as she guided them to victory in the women’s beach relay.

At the pool, it was a record breaking day for the National Open Teams with four World Records set in the morning heats before a further three were set during the finals session. Further spice was added with a starter issue in the women’s 200m obstacles resulting in the race being re-run two hours later with Germany’s Nina Holt securing the victory both times.

Paris Olympian, Nina Holt (Germany) had a podium topping day in numerous events and not only broke the World Record in the Women’s Rescue Medley in the morning, she then broke her own Record later in the day in the Final.

 “I am really happy with the time, going faster than this morning’s time. It’s not a one-time thing so pretty happy with that. The medley is one of my favourite races however I am always super nervous before it, I know I can do the kicking, it’s so hard.”

Australia’s Harrison Hynes also broke the World Record in the Men’s Manikin Carry with Fins in the Heats and followed it up breaking it again in the Final (47:68) tonight. 

“I really pushed it out there and I am really proud to see that that’s what I am made of. Pretty happy and a shout out to Charlie, the best six year old there is. I have had some troubles with clip ups in the past so that has been the focus and it’s obviously paid off.”

New Zealand’s ‘Black Fins’ Madison Kidd and Zoe Crawford put their opponents on notice in the morning in the Women’s Manikin Tow with Fins with Zoe breaking the World Record in her heat before it was taken by Madison in the following heat only for Zoe to take out the World Champion title tonight in the final. 

“World Champion feels pretty good, especially to go one-two with Mad’s, pool partners day in day out, we put the Mahi in. I couldn’t ask for anyone better to do it with. I was hoping and praying that both of our hands got there first and either or I didn’t really care to be honest!” 

The first World Record of the Finals session was set by an ecstatic Kacper Majchrzak from Poland (1:51.73) in the Men’s 200m Obstacle Swim ahead of Australia’s James Koch and New Zealand’s Louis Clark. 

“I am really happy, this was more than my goal. 1:52 is usually what I swim but today I was perfect, I am really happy I could do that. My team is so great also, I listened to the support from my team and I want to say thank you to them all!”