WAIS-AIS athlete Alana Nicholls has given herself a major confidence boost ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, by winning the test event at Eton over the weekend.
With close to 200 athletes from 34 nations in London for the Olympic Invitational Test Event, Nicholls, along with a host of Australia’s finest sprint paddlers were on hand to test out the course that will be used at London Games.
Fresh on the back of a successful World Championships campaign in Szeged recently, World Cup gold medallist Alana Nicholls continued her impressive 2011 season taking out the women’s K1 500m final ahead of South African Brigitte Hartley and Sofia Paldanius of Sweden.
Nicholls admitted it was difficult to get herself back up for racing after Szeged, but revealed instinct took over when it mattered most.
“It was tough racing again after worlds but once I was on the start line, I wanted to win it” the 25 year-old said.
QAS duo Ken Wallace and David Smith combined to finish eighth in the men’s K2 1000m A final, whilst Wallace bounced back from a tough World Championships in Szeged last month to finish eighth in the men’s K1 1000m A final, which was won by German Max Hoff.
