Having won both the opening two races, Cartledge secured the title in race three, earning 1000 points to take her competition tally to the maximum 3000 from three races — an unassailable lead with one race remaining.
“I’m pretty happy with it,” she told the IWWF broadcast following the win.
“It was pretty good. I didn’t feel too tired, my legs felt all right.
“I was just thinking the whole time I just have to finish, and that’s what I did.”
Thanking family, friends and sponsors Williams Wetsuits and Shannon Fink from FitMob, Cartledge also paid tribute to driver Alex Handley and observer Ryan Wridgway, who were in the Gro Up F2 boat this week.
“I couldn’t do it without either of them,” she said.
“They make everything possible. I’m glad that they were there with me.”
Handley was glowing in his praise of the world champion, who was flawless throughout the week despite a turbulent lead-up.
“Leilei really stepped it up; she was pretty crook coming into the week, and the few weeks leading up, we didn’t get to ski for a few weeks,” he said.
“The grit, the emotion and the toughness, she’s done exactly what she needed to do.
“All of the girls tried to run with us this week, and hats off, they all stepped it up from our selections and they were there, and Leilei just had that extra gear and clicked it up.”
While there is one race to go, Cartledge cannot be beaten as only the top three results from the four races are counted towards an individual’s points tally.
Leilani’s brother, Kohdi, also won race three in the junior boys category, and will enter Saturday with a slender 19.12-point advantage on top of the leaderboard after inheriting the overall lead from Jaali Walsh.
Kohdi has had his father, Jason, on board the Speed Lab entry this week as his observer, and they will be hoping to make it a true family affair by wrapping up the title together on Saturday.
Emma Barnes also enters the final race on Saturday in the lead of the F2 women’s category, winning the opening two races and finishing second in race three to hold a 36.61-point lead over American Sophia Rivera.
Fellow local Jake Clancy, who is racing as a wildcard entry, sits second in the men’s F2 category following a super consistent week, earning a fourth and two seconds to trail category leader Aiden Cuff by 21.73 points heading into the final race.
While they might not be skiing, several other Echuca-Moama locals are involved in the world championships in some capacity, including driver and observer duo Tim Pickford and Brian Griffin.
They have been onboard Sapphire in the open men’s category this week with skier Lachlan Nix, and sit seventh in the standings with one race remaining following a DNF in race three.
Shane Henderson has been observing for Team NZ aboard the Kausin Glamour men’s F2 entry, with the team’s skier Kyle Taylor locked in a tight battle to hold onto his fifth place heading into the final race.
Local Georgie Pearse has also had a pivotal role to play on the jury panel, as one of eight judges tasked with enforcing the rules of the competition.
The final day of racing is scheduled for Saturday, November 18, with Barnes the first of the local skiers to hit the water in the women’s F2 category at 9am.
Kohdi and Leilani Cartledge will both be in action from 11am in their respective divisions, while Clancy will learn his fate when the men’s F2 begins at 1pm.
All world championship races will be streamed live on the World Water Ski Racing Championships Facebook page.
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