Kornelis Smit crowned Highland Games world champion

Damen Naval and Damen Yachting employee Kornelis Smit became world champion in his age category at the World Championship Masters (WCS) in Driewegen at the start of September. The WCS Masters is the pinnacle of international Highland Games competition for participants over the age of 40. Competing in the 50-54 age category, the 51-year-old Kornelis won medals in seven of the nine events.

Text: Eefje Koppers

Given the calibre of the other competitors in his age group, Kornelis allowed himself to hope, but not to expect victory. His main rivals were a competitor from Germany and two from the United States. “I knew I had to stay ahead of them, and, to my surprise, I managed to do just that. I’m incredibly happy that I’ve finally achieved it,” says Kornelis. “I had a fantastic weekend, and everything went my way, despite having a heavy cold. Fortunately, it did not really affect my performance. I had a good, consistent competition.”

What made his victory even more special was that the Masters were held in Zeeland, allowing his wife, Carola, to be there with him. “In recent years, the World Championships have been held in Switzerland, Florida and Mississippi. Next year, they will take place in Canada”, explains Kornelis. “Those are expensive trips, so Carola isn’t always able to come along. That’s why it was wonderful that she could be there in Driewegen. It was the first time the World Championship had been held in the Netherlands, and the international competitors were full of praise for Driewegen and the organisation.”

Kornelis works for Damen Yachting but has been seconded to Damen Naval for the ASWF project for the past year and a half. He was introduced to Highland Games in 2016 when Adriaan Overbeeke introduced him to the MacBulkheads, the Highland Games team of the Damen companies in Vlissingen. “I fell in love with the sport very quickly and still feel the same way today. At this level, there is only a small group of athletes worldwide and there is a real sense of camaraderie. Everyone helps one another. Of course, everyone wants to win, but you are also happy for others when they do well. It’s like a small family.”

During the WCS Masters, competitors battle for victory across nine disciplines:

• Heavy Hammer Throw: Swinging a heavy metal ball mounted on a flexible shaft (10 kg) with the competitor’s back facing the field and throwing it as far as possible behind them, while keeping both feet fixed to the ground.
• Light Hammer Throw: A lighter version (7.25 kg), thrown as far as possible using the same swinging technique.
• Heavyweight for Distance: Throwing a heavy metal weight attached to a short chain (19 kg) as far as possible with one hand after performing a spin.
• Lightweight for Distance: Throwing a lighter metal weight (12 kg) as far as possible using the same technique.
• Sheaf Toss: Throwing a bag filled with hay or straw over a high crossbar using a pitchfork.
• Caber Toss: Lifting a long, heavy tree trunk vertically and tossing it while running. The objective is not distance, but to make the trunk rotate fully end-over-end.
• Open Stone: Putting a stone (7-8 kg) as far as possible, with either a glide or rotational technique permitted.
• Braemar Stone: Putting a heavy stone (10-12 kg) from a standing position as far as possible from the shoulder.
• Weight Over Bar: Throwing a compact weight (25 kg) upwards and backwards over a high bar using one hand.

Kornelis won three gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal. He finished fourth in the final two events. This gave him the lowest overall points total, securing the world championship title. Training for the Highland Games is intensive, with multiple competitions and championships taking place each season. This year, Kornelis focused particularly on the sheaf toss, an event in which American competitors are traditionally very strong. “This event is not always included in competition programmes in the Netherlands,” he explains. “That’s why I also competed in many events in Germany this year. It was especially rewarding to win the gold medal in that discipline.”

His other two gold medals came in the light and heavy hammer throw, his favourite events. “It’s a fantastic discipline. You have to keep your feet fixed in one position and swing the hammer away. When it leaves your hands perfectly, it’s an incredible feeling. There’s nothing quite like it.”

The season will conclude in October with the Dutch Championships. After that, winter training begins and preparations start once again for the new season. Kornelis concludes: “I definitely hope to be there again in Canada. I’m already looking forward to it.”