WAIS Canoeing Athletes Continue Strong Form

A heavy weekend of racing saw WAIS athletes in action right across the country. Reece Baker (Marmion) continued his excellent form for the season with wins in the South Australian Regatta Series.

Baker had been in Adelaide as part of a K4 training camp and capped of the week with comfortable wins in the K1 500m and K1 1000m against quality opposition including 2008 Olympic team member David Smith and former junior World Championship Bronze medallist Matt Goble plus several other National team contenders.

Baker also teamed with David Smith (NSWIS) for the first time and won the K2 500m in close finish followed by Luke Morrison and Matt Goble (SASI). Baker then teamed with Luke Morrison in the K2 1000m and came second.

Brendan Sarson (Balcatta) took on many of the best surf lifesavers in the business at the annual Australia Day Carnival at Freshwater Beach. With many of the top surf skiand kayak paddlers from across the country in attendance Sarson progressed through to the final where he paddled a powerful race to finish in first place, his best ever result at this level of competition.

Locally Jesse Phillips (Nollamara) won four events in the fourth round of the local regatta series with narrow victories in the K1 500m and K1 1000m over K2 partner Steve Bird (Mount Pleasant). Bird and Phillips then combined to comfortably win both the K2 500m and K2 1000m ahead of Daniel Bowker (Kingsley) and Lee Davey (Myaree) second on both occasions.

In the women’s events Alana Nicholls (Dianella) showed that she is going to be one of the women to beatin the K1 at nationals with comprehensive victories and fast times in both K1 500m and K1 200m. Olympic Bronze medallist Lisa Russ (Hilton) was second on both occasions and Jenni Bateman (Wembley) third. In the K2 events Nicholls and Russ combined well to comfortably win both K2 200m and K2 500m.

Ramon Andersson