Tooting-born Freddie Winter had to settle for silver on the final day of the World Waterski Open Championships.

The defending champion was joined on the slalom podium by teammate Will Asher, who won bronze.

In the final, Winter and Asher – the gold and silver medallists at the last World Championships in 2017 – were beaten in water skiing’s equivalent of a penalty shoot out.

They were in a three-way tie for first place with Australia’s Joel Howley after all 12 finalists had skied, forcing a run-off.

They had all successfully rounded 2 buoys on the 10.25 metre ski rope - a line length which is significantly shorter than the distance from the boat to the turn buoys, requiring the skier to use his body as an extension of the rope to negotiate the buoy.

In the run-off Howley had the edge over Winter, clearing the 10.75 metre line and scoring 1 at 10.25 metres.

Winter scored 5 at 10.75m with Asher, a former two-time slalom World Champion, fractionally behind on 4.5 buoys.

Winter, who now lives in Florida, had come back to the UK for his last minute preparations with long time coaches Steve Glanfield of Oxford Waterski Club and John Battleday at JB Ski in Chertsey, Surrey.

"I came here 200 per cent determined to defend my title so I am not a happy camper,” he said.

"But I want to thank Steve and John, and all those from Team Captain Steve Sopp downwards for the tremendous support in Malaysia. And well done to Joel."

Winter is famously hard on himself but this was the most competitive world slalom final in history with all the gold medallists from 2005 to the last world championships in 2017 involved.