News

In addition to individual K1 medals which she won at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (2016: silver in K1 500, 2020: bronze in K1 200 and K1 500) she now wishes to reach the winner’s podium both in K1 and K2 events.

 

In February 2023 she teamed up with Frederikke Hauge Matthiesen and in their first season paddling together they already recorded great success. The Danish duo won the 2023 World Champion title in women’s K2 500 metres event and was second in the same event of the European Games in Krakow.

 

“I also really want to win in the kayak double, but there is just so much that comes into play. We paddle with what we have and what we can do on the day, and I am sure that this helps us to be allowed to fight for the gold,” said Jorgensen in an interview with Danish media.

 

The successful and experienced paddler believes they belong in the top three crews that will compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics in women’s K2 500 metres event. “I really want to achieve a result. We still have a lot we can develop in K2. We are a new crew, so I still think there is a lot to learn,” said Emma Aastrand Jorgensen.

 

“We have clearly proven that we belong there. But again - an Olympics is something else, and you have to be ready on the day. You also have to do that in a World Cup, but especially at the Olympics. I don't know if it is the Olympic Games itself that does it, but there is just this extra little nice thing that means that it can quickly fall apart if you don't have your feet firmly placed on the ground.”

 

Despite having won some of her greatest results in K1, she sees the K2 as equally important: “It's a cool duo that Frederikke and I have created, and I feel that we personally give each other the space we need in order for me to live out my K1 dream, but that we can also create together the results we would like in the second. I think I have enough strength. I've been doing this since I was 18-19 years old – having two disciplines, I've had to juggle.”

 

“It is also about that you can trust each other and that Frederikke can trust that I can stick to this. This is also why my coach plans the needed training so that I can keep paddling many hard races, both in singles and doubles. I have a very good foundation of hard training and many years of experience, which is enough to be able to deliver 100 percent every time we are ready to start,” Jorgensen said.

 

“In Tokyo, I paddled in K1 and K4 at three different distances. I embraced that very well. Yes, I was tired at the end. But I think I got up really well, recovered and did what I was supposed to. When we enter 2024, I feel calm and have a really good feeling that we will probably make it,” concluded Emma Aastrand Jørgensen.