Jean and Pierre van der Westhuyzen have taken a major step forward in their mission to win Olympic gold together.
The Bond University alumni claimed silver as part of Australia’s K4 500m men’s crew at the World Championships in Poland, bettered only by Olympic champions Germany.
The van der Westhuyzens teamed up with Paris silver medallists Riley Fitzsimmons and Noah Havard, with the latter stepping in for the injured Jackson Collins.
The result continues an outstanding year for the Aussie men, who collected silver and two bronzes on the World Cup circuit before arriving in Poznan.
“We’ve put a couple of crews out there this season, and they’ve all managed to do really well,” Pierre told the New South Wales Institute of Sport.
“It’s a testament to the depth of the program.”
The van der Westhuyzens also joined forced in the men’s K2 500m, narrowly missing the A Final after finishing just 0.05 seconds outside the top three.
They bounced back strongly to win the B Final, securing 10th place overall to cap a busy World Championships campaign.
While the K2 provided another opportunity for the brothers to race side-by-side, their sights remain firmly set on the big boat.
“It’s always really exciting to race with Jean,” Pierre said.
“It’s not been the main focus, the K4 is because that’s where the most points are coming for qualification for the Olympics.”
Fellow Bondies and twin sisters Alyssa and Claudia Bailey also lined up for Australia in Poznan, combining with Kailey Harlen and Natalia Drobot in the women’s K4 500m.
The young crew progressed through to the A Final, where they finished eighth, gaining valuable experience and ranking points on the road to LA 2028.
Paddle Australia claimed and impressive four gold, one silver and two bronze in Poland, placing second on the overall medal tally.