WAIS Canoeing Athletes Compete in GP2 in Penrith

WAIS kayakers Lisa Russ, Alana Nicholls and Reece Baker have all featured prominently on the first day of GP2 at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith today.

In the men’s K4 1000m final Kenny Wallace, Murray Stewart, Jacob Clear and Tate Smith powered to victory in a time of 2:58.55. Stewart, Clear and Smith took the race out hard before Wallace closed out the proceedings over the last 200 metres. WAIS athlete Reese Baker teamed with Luke Morrison, Luke Michael and David Smith to follow in second place, three quarters of a boat length adrift.

The final of the women’s K2 1000m produced a pulsating affair. Bernadette Wallace and Andrea Wood led the WAIS pairing of Lisa Russ and Alana Nicholls into the last 100 metres before Russ and Nicholls began to reel them in. Wallace and Wood produced a final kick in the last five strokes, however, to dead heat in a time of 3:44.9452. The New Zealand crew of Lisa Carrington and Jaimee Lovett finished in third place.

WAIS athlete Jenni Bateman qualified for tomorrow’s final of the women’s K1 1000m with NSW’s paddler Jo Brigden-Jones recording the fastest time in her semi-final. Reece Baker will compete along side Luke Morrison tomorrow in the final of the men’s K2 1000m.