(Reuters) -Britain's Joe Clarke equalled claimed his fourth successive men's kayak cross title at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Sydney on Saturday as he matched the men's all-time record for individual world titles.
Clarke, 32, took time out from the sport after missing gold in kayak cross's Olympic debut in Paris last year, but proved once again his class in the all-action discipline.
After crashing down from the start ramp in first position, Clarke forged ahead of France's Mathurin Madore, Czech Matyas Novak and Belgium's Maxime Aubertin and stayed ahead.
Madore took the silver with Novak in third place.
"It's incredible," said Clarke, who missed the start of the season following the birth of his second child.
"Obviously, (winning gold) was the aim when I came out here today, but there's a lot of rounds and a lot of good guys to beat to get there. So just building round by round, I think I had actually got more energy as the competition went through.
"I came today with a point to prove and I think I've done that."
With five world golds, including a K1 title from London in 2023, and one silver in his career, Clarke joined Jon Lugbill of the United States as the joint most successful male paddler in individual events at world championships.
France top the medal table after Angele Hug won the women's kayak cross gold having finished second last year in Paris.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
