WAIS-AIS kayaker Alana Nicholls will be formally nominated by Canoeing Australia for Olympic Selection after claiming the first two races in a best of three format for the women’s K1 200m spot.
Racing at the Oceania Championships at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith, Nicholls (41.32sec) finished second behind New Zealand world champion paddler Lisa Carrington (40.92sec), but in finishing fastest Australian, the Bayswater club member earned Olympic nomination with an unassailable 2-0 lead in the best of three format having won the first selection race on Thursday.
Nicholls has taken a strangle hold on the K1 200m and K1 500m (which will also be contested over the weekend as part of the Oceania Championships) in recent times with Nicholls competing for Australia in both events at last year’s World Championships, qualifying Australian boats for the Olympics in the process.
An emotional Nicholls was pleased with her performance, but was still focused on the job at hand with her K1 500 event on tomorrow.
“It’s everything I’ve ever dreamt of.”
“You come into these regattas and it’s so nerve-wracking. You put everything on hold and your life has to really stop so you can give it everything so when you’re on the start line all of that plays with your head so it was just good to get out there, have a good race and get it done the quickest way possible.”
“While I am excited, my subconscious must not be letting me get too excited because I’ve still got things to think about and a big race tomorrow.”
Nicholls took a break from competition in 2010 before producing a breakthrough year in 2011 and has carried that form into 2012 and credits the year away from the sport as having a big bearing on her development as a paddler.
“I definitely think it had a huge impact on my career, in a positive way. I was so naive coming into the sport in 2008 and found it difficult physically and mentally to adjust from a sport like surf life saving.”
“The break gave me time to mentally recharge and think about what I wanted to be doing. I’m glad I did it and happy I made the decision to try again.”
Racing in the women’s K1 500m begins on Saturday morning (3 March) and concludes in the afternoon with the Oceania Championship final. Nicholls will again be favoured amongst the Australian contingent to secure nomination.
Also in selection action tomorrow will be K2 200m national champions Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird. The pair will be looking to advance their nomination claims with an Oceania Championship title in the newly included Olympic discipline.
Stay tuned to www.wais.org.au next week for a full report and wrap up from the Oceania Championships and the selection trial process for the Australian Kayaking Team on the 2012 Australian Olympic Team.
– with Canoeing Australia
