Nicholls Wins Fourth Consecutive K1 500m National Title

WAIS athlete Alana Nicholls has won a fourth consecutive Australian Sprint title in the women’s K1 500m after narrowly defeating NSW’s Naomi Flood.

With just three hundredths of a second separating Nicholls in 1:54.83 from Flood in 1:54.86, the Olympian has secured her place on Australia’s team for this year’s World Championships in Moscow in August.

The race was almost impossible to split throughout, with Nicholls herself, confirming post race she knew she was in a battle.

“It was really tight. Floody got a really good start, she was next to me and I could feel her next to me the whole way,” she said.

Speaking of the increased talent in women’s K1 depth, Nicholls added, “It’s pretty awesome that the girls are so tight and I think it’s going to help, internationally, be a little bit more competitive.”

With Nicholls having overcome a series of minor set backs post London, including a neck complaint in the lead up to the Australian Championships, it emphasised how much the result meant to her.

“It proves to me how much I love the sport and how much I do want to be here,” she said.

Backing up her K1 500m win, Nicholls added a second national title, partnering Flood, Jo Brigden Jones and Burnadette Wallace in the women’s K4 500m.

With the crew having represented Australia at last year’s World Championships – it was a title they were strongly tipped to win.

Nicholls also picked up a bronze medal in the women’s K2 500m racing with fellow WAIS athlete Jaime Roberts. The pair was edged from silver by .12 of a second behind Catherine MacArthur and Alyce Burnett, with gold going to NSW duo Flood and Brigden Jones.