‘I think we’re both a pretty good chance’: Cartledge siblings set for big world champs campaign

By Alexander Dabb

Nov 8, 2023

World stage: Echuca siblings Kohdi and Leilani Cartledge will get their World Water Ski Racing Championships campaign under way on Saturday, November 11, in Gosford, NSW. Photo: Aidan Briggs Photo by Aidan Briggs

Echuca siblings Leilani and Kohdi Cartledge are just one day away from representing Australia in the IWWF World Waterski Racing Championships in Gosford.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

With the opening ceremony and pre-race scrutineering set to take place on Friday, November 10, the duo will don brand-new Australian team wetsuits at 11am on Saturday, when they take the start for race one of the junior boys and girls world ski racing championships.

Starting on Saturday, they will each compete in four races across the week, each lasting 30 minutes plus an additional lap once time expires, in a bid to secure the world title.

The pair, who made the trip north on Wednesday, qualified for the team after dominating their respective categories in the Australian trials, first in Gosford and then Mulwala.

Held across two weekends, there were four selection races in total, two each in Gosford and Mulwala, with an individual’s three best results forming the basis for selection.

The duo each secured maximum points after claiming wins in each of the first three races, both finishing as the top competitor in their class.

But it was the first weekend in Gosford that Leilani believes will give them the edge over their international rivals, with the 16-year-old “pumped” to get the competition under way.

“The (Australian team) selections were at the (world championships) course, so we’ve both skied there before,” she said.

Kohdi, 14, said preparations had been going well for the event, which he was more than excited about.

“Since day one,” was the response when asked how long he had been training for the world championships.

“We’ve been doing gym every day, and skiing on the weekends.”

The skiing has been done in Melbourne, rather than on the Murray, in an attempt to mimic the conditions they will encounter in Gosford.

“We’ve been skiing in the bay in Williamstown,” Leilani said.

“It’s rougher with the swell from the ocean, and the saltwater is a bit floatier than the river water.”

Speaking ahead of their arrival on the central coast earlier this week, the pair said they were looking forward to catching up with their Australian teammates, who they competed with and against for team selection.

“We’ve got a team meeting when we get to Gosford with all of the Australian competitors,” Leilani said.

“We know all of the Australians because we raced against them for selection to get into the team, so we’ve met them all before.”

And while Kohdi remained quietly hopeful about the chances of taking out the coveted title of best in the world, Leilani believed they are both well and truly in contention.

“I think we both have a pretty good chance,” she said.

The IWWF World Waterski Racing Championships will be broadcast live on www.blendline.tv, with the first race day commencing on November 11.