Four Bondies have booked their spots in Paddle Australia’s 16-strong team to contest the 2026 Canoe Sprint World Cup season.
Alyssa Bailey will compete alongside twin sister Claudia, and brothers Jean and Pierre van der Westhuyzen in back-to-back World Cup regattas in Szeged, Hungary and Brandenburg in May.
The regattas double as the first of ten Olympic qualifying events.
It’s a huge opportunity for Alyssa Bailey, who made her senior debut in 2025, to translate her growing experience into results.
Bailey, a Bond University Academic Excellence Scholar and Bachelor of Commerce student, has been immersed in the most intense training grind of her young career.
She’s more excited than ever to hit the water.
“Compared to this time last year, I’m a different athlete in how I go about my training and racing,” Bailey said.
“Last year I didn’t have expectations as I just wanted to do my best but this year I have certain goals I am trying to meet.
“At the same time, I am trying to appreciate the journey and enjoy the experience, as I tend to race better when I do that.”
Bailey credits the positive environment at her training base, the Australian Institute of Sport kayaking facility at Miami on the Gold Coast, for allowing her to thrive despite a demanding 16 session per week training program.
“We’ve really been putting in the work and it’s a huge load to undertake, but the girls I train with are so supportive – it’s really uplifting,” Bailey said.
“The positive culture flows from the coaches, and to also have the athletes supporting one another puts us in a really good place to keep the momentum building over the next two years into the Olympics.”
The van der Westhuyzen brothers will look to make a strong start in the new Olympic cycle after their medal-winning efforts in Paris 2024, while Claudia Bailey will be aiming to secure her seat in the Australian women’s K4 leading into LA.