 Jones at the 2019 Canoe Slalom World Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Born | (1988-10-18)18 October 1988 (age 37) Tauranga, New Zealand |
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sport | Canoe slalom |
Event(s) | K1, Kayak cross, C1 |
| Club | Canoe Slalom Bay of Plenty |
Medal record | |
| Updated on 28 September 2016 | |
Luuka Jones (born 18 October 1988) is a New Zealandslalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2006.[1]
She is a five-time Olympian and has won a silver medal in the K1 event at the2016 Summer Olympics.
Jones was born inTauranga in 1988.[2] Her mother Denise Jones was a fan of the British actressAudrey Hepburn and Luuka Jones was named after Hepburn's second son, Luca Dotti.[3] Her father is Rod Jones and she has three sisters.[4] She was brought up adjacent to theWairoa River. She took up kayaking at age ten and received lessons from Waimarino Adventure Park nearby.[3] She went toOtumoetai Intermediate where inYear Seven, she set her goal to win anOlympic medal.[5][6]
Jones started competing in 2003 at age 14.[3] In preparation for the2008 Summer Olympics, she moved to England to train with the British team.[3] She was the first female canoe slalom paddler to represent New Zealand at the Olympic Games.[3]
She competed in theK1 event at the2008 Beijing Olympics where she finished last in 21st position, thus being eliminated in the heats.[5] At the2012 Summer Olympics in London she qualified for the semi-finals of theK1 event where she finished in 14th place. At the2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro she won a silver medal in theK1 event.[7] Jones recorded her 4th Olympic participation at the2020 Summer Olympics inTokyo where she started in both women's events. She finished 6th in the final of theK1 event and 13th in theC1 event after being eliminated in the semifinal. At her 5th Olympics in2024 inParis, she finished 8th in theK1 event and 5th inkayak cross.[8]
Jones won a bronze medal in the K1 event at the2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships inLa Seu d'Urgell.
| Season | Date | Venue | Position | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 February 2009 | Mangahao | 2nd | K11 |
| 2019 | 22 June 2019 | Bratislava | 2nd | K1 |
| 2021 | 5 September 2021 | La Seu d'Urgell | 2nd | Kayak cross |
| 2023 | 8 October 2023 | Vaires-sur-Marne | 1st | Kayak cross |
Jones moved to England at age 17 to further her canoe career[4] and divides her time betweenNottingham and New Zealand, spending theNorthern Hemisphere summer based in Europe where most of the competitions are held.[9] She studies business extramurally atMassey University, majoring in communication.[3][10] She receives sponsorship from businesses based in Tauranga.[10] Apart from canoe, Jones enjoys surfing, mountain biking and making sushi.[3][6]
