Perth teenager Alexandria Choate has fought back tears to qualify for her semi-final at the canoe slalom world championships just minutes after learning a childhood friend had died.
The 16-year-old was preparing to contest the junior C1 class in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava on Wednesday when she received a text message telling her the friend had been killed in a car accident back home.
Choate dedicated her second and final run to the young man.
"My friend just died today, so I was paddling for him," Choate said.
"He was a primary school friend, so for all those back home, please remember him well. I dedicated this run to him, so while I was paddling, it was all for him."
Fellow Australians Jessica Fox, Noemie Fox and Kate Eckhardt all paddled into the U23 women's C1 semi-finals.
Benjamin Pope and Angus Thompson both qualified for Friday's men's K1 semi-finals and Louis Richardson made it through in the junior K1 event.
Timothy Anderson (men's K1), Cameron McLaughlan (juniors K1) and Billie Knell (juniors C1) failed to qualify.
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