By her own admission, the 2015 season has not been a good one for Fiona Pennie but the Crieff paddler remains confident she can add a second World Championships medal to her collection this week.

After the disappointment of missing out on the London 2012 Olympics, the 32-year-old has enjoyed a successful few years as she followed up her European title win in 2013 by finishing second at last year’s World Championships.

That form could not be replicated since the turn of the year. The former Morrison’s Academy pupil could only manage 20th at this year’s Europeans and her highest finish in her three World Cup events was 14th.

But with this year’s World Championships taking place at the British Canoeing training base, the Lee Valley White Water Centre, Pennie remains optimistic of securing a medal in her sixth World Championships.

“It has not been a great season for me coming into this competition but after a silver medal in last year’s World Championships, I will be really hoping to emulate that and get another medal this year,” she said.

Pennie, who has lived in Waltham Abbey close to her training base since 2011, will be one of 14 paddlers from these shores to compete in the World Championships and it provides them with an opportunity to secure Team GB a place for next summer’s Olympic Games in several classifications.

It also gives the individual athletes the chance to earn bonus points ahead of their own Olympic selection process in October, with Pennie again set to face Lizzie Neave and rising star Kimberley Woods for a place in Brazil.

“I have competed in a few World Championships now so to take part in one at home would be great. Having the home crowd behind you on home water will be great,” she added.

“Up until now I have been trying to treat it like just another World Championships but it isn’t and it is exciting to be going into a home Worlds.

“In the majority of the events we partake in, friends and family are not able to come to the races. My parents try to get to as many as they can but this time they will all be here to watch me race.

“But I will be focussing on what I am doing first and catching up with them after the race.”

Pennie may have suffered the heartbreak of missing out on competing at the London 2012 Olympics but she still remembers the day Britain secured two of the podium places in the C2 classification fondly.

She said: “London 2012 was great when we won gold and silver and we would love to emulate that magic again and have the crowd right behind us.

“To win some medals for the nation would be great.”

See the world’s top canoe slalom athletes in action on the Olympic course in London at the Canoe Slalom World Championships. Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.uk/london2015