Newport Surf Life Saving Club’s Jemma Smith has returned to the Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships with two gold medals, reclaiming the women’s single surfski crown before winning the first mixed doubles world title alongside fellow Australian Cory Hill.
Smith secured her third women’s single surfski (SS1) world championship at La Vila Joiosa, Spain, during the competition held from 9 to 11 October 2026. She completed the race in 1:21:08, ahead of South Africa’s Kira Bester in 1:23:37 and Great Britain’s Rosemary Edwards in 1:24:33.
Having previously won the title in 2022 and 2023, Smith had spent two years away from the world championship stage. Her return placed her back at the top of the women’s field, which she acknowledged had become increasingly competitive during her absence.
Four Seconds Separate Mixed Doubles Contenders
Smith’s second gold came in the mixed surfski double (SS2), where she and Hill faced a close contest against an experienced South African field. Despite never having raced together as a doubles pairing, the Australians finished in 1:07:15, just four seconds ahead of South Africa’s Jade Wilson and Hank McGregor.
The victory gave Australia the inaugural mixed SS2 world championship title. Hill had already secured bronze in the open men’s singles and gold in the Masters 35–39 category before joining Smith for the doubles race.
Both athletes acknowledged the difficulty of the contest, with Hill particularly noting the demanding approach to the beach finish after more than an hour of paddling. The two victories contributed to Australia’s third-place finish on the championship medal table, with Australian athletes also securing podium finishes in junior and Masters events.
From Umina Nipper to Newport Champion
Smith’s achievements in Spain add to a lengthy record in surf lifesaving, beginning with her early years as a nipper at Umina Surf Life Saving Club. She now competes for Newport SLSC, where her international ocean racing achievements sit alongside national success across several surf lifesaving disciplines.
At the 2026 Australian Championships, Smith won five national titles in Open Champion Lifesaver, Patrol Competition, Single Ski, Ski Relay and Board Relay. She was also named Female Athlete of the Carnival. Her previous season included victory in the Coolangatta Gold long-course event and captaining NSW to another win at the Interstate Ocean Championships. Smith also claimed her 11th consecutive Champion Lifesaver title during that season.
Having previously received three NSW Youth Athlete of the Year awards, Smith was named NSW Athlete of the Year in both 2025 and 2026. Beyond her own competition schedule, Smith remains involved in coaching and mentoring junior athletes and coaches across several surf lifesaving clubs.
The championships in Spain attracted more than 810 international paddlers, with competitors racing over 20 kilometres in individual and doubles events. The next Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships are scheduled for Tahiti from 30 September to 3 October 2027.
Published 22-October-2026
