Kayaker wins world gold with record score

Sam Wilson at the Canoe World Freestyle Championships in Germany, where he won gold

A man who trains on the River Medway has set a new world record at the Canoe Freestyle World Championships in Germany.

Sam Wilson won gold in the kayak squirt category – a form of kayaking with a boat that is designed to be submerged and manoeuvred underwater, often with the goal of performing tricks.

Each athlete is scored in a points system, with Wilson's 3,246.67 the highest score recorded in his discipline.

"When I started competing, my goal was to win the worlds, so to get a world record is really special," Wilson said.

Wilson admits his kayak quest is "every parents worst dream," after leaving the "stability of a job."

The kayaker, who practices on the River Medway in Yalding, Kent, said he took up the discipline at his local club after he was "too lanky" for larger sized boats.

""Its like a surfboard vacuum packed around you," he said.

"You want to hold your breath underwater as long as you can. It's weird but it's fun. I didn't have a clue it existed when I started."

Wilson also he runs his own coaching business alongside competing.

"I left school and said, 'I want to do kayaking', which is every parents dream," he joked.

"I wanted to get on the water more. I left the stability of my job, which was terrifying, but the support from everyone has got me here."

The sport is being considered for future Olympic games.