WAIS-AIS athletes Jesse Phillips (Rivervale) and Steve Bird (Mt Pleasant) continued on with their successful overseas campaign with a win in the K2 class of the Liffey Descent in Ireland over the weekend.
The event is one of the “must do” races on the International Canoeing calendar similar to the Avon Descent with about 900 paddlers racing over 29kms of flowing water with nine sets of weirs and two sets of rapids to shoot along with a 400m portage thrown in for good measure.
Phillips and Bird got off to a fast start and were with a South African national crew for much of the race till the South African fell in at the final weir handing Phillips and Bird what turned out to be a comfortable win ahead of Irish National team paddlers Peter Egan and Carlos Lopez.
Stephen Bird reportedly enjoyed the experience telling the Irish Times “That was awesome fun.”
Phillips and Bird now head to South African for about four weeks of training and racing culminating in the Fish River Marathon which along with the Sella Descent in Spain are the biggest and most competitive river races in the world.
To view footage of one of the weirs on the Liffey Descent course, click here.
For a taste of on course action click here.
