Writer: Tom Collings | Photography & Video: Rob van Bommel | Australian Canoeing

It’s taken her six years, but London Olympian Jo Brigden-Jones is finally back on top of a crowded K1 500 pack after winning the event at the Oceania sprint Championships and second Grand Prix (GP2) in Adelaide, Australia on Sunday.

An emotional Brigden-Jones said her win over K2 teammate Naomi Flood and Queensland’s Alyssa Bull marked an important milestone on her road back from injury.

“I haven’t won a K1 500 race at this level, GP2 or Nationals, since 2010, which was before I did both my shoulders,” Brigden-Jones said.

“I’ve had two shoulder operations since then and been through a whole heap, so since then I’ve got back on top in the 200, but I’ve never quite crawled back up there in the 500.”

“It’s taken a long time and for that to happen just then, I was a bit in shock and disbelief, and also pretty proud of myself for keeping believing in myself for that six years that I’ve had some hurdles to jump over.”

On Friday Brigden-Jones successfully qualified Australia an Olympic start in the K1 200, defeating the best paddlers in Oceania, before successfully defending her GP2 200 title in the afternoon.

The Manly paddler now has two weeks to prepare for the National Sprint Championships in Perth, which will double as the Olympic qualifiers.

“I’m going to have a couple of days off, I’m going to need it to recover from a big weekend,” she said.

“You always think about Rio, that’s why we do the hard training, but this regatta I’ve tried not to think about it at all.”

“You know what’s on the line, but you try and put that in the back of your mind.”

The National Sprint Championships will be held at Champion Lakes from the 2 to 6 March.