Bingham clinches surf kayak gold

Jonny Bingham in action at the world championships

Jonny Bingham from the County Antrim village of Ballybogey is Northern Ireland's newest world champion.

The 27-year-old Dunluce schoolteacher struck gold at the recent World Surf Kayak Championships in Costa Rica.

Bingham also helped Northern Ireland to fifth place in the team event, with Ireland second behind the winners USA.

Going into the competition, the local man was ranked ninth in the world for the Men's Open class but he stepped up a gear when it really mattered.

Bingham, the current European champion, made it though to the final with a series of great displays to earn a spot in the final.

He was head and shoulders above the rest of the field, taking victory on 86 points, 13 ahead of the runner-up Neil Baxter from Scotland.

"I went out a few days beforehand to acclimatise and I think this helped considerably," said Bingham.

"The conditions were tough as there was a strong heat. But in the end you cannot replicate conditions of a competition, so to come away with victory was brilliant."