The race for Olympic selection begins for Australia’s best sprint canoe athletes this Friday at the Oceania Championships at Adelaide’s West Lakes.
Doubling as Grand Prix 2 as part of the sprint canoe domestic season, the Oceania Championships form the first Olympic selection event, which will culminate with the Australian Championships in Perth from March 2-6.
200m racing starts proceedings on Day 1 of competition, which will see Alana Nicholls in the women’s K1 and Stephen Bird, Jesse Phillips and Brodie Holmes in the men’s K1 all looking to advance their selection claims.
Gold Coast based WAIS athlete Daniel Bowker will be looking to continue his strong form in the 1000m events, when he contests the K4 1000m, which is set to represent a priority boat for the Australian team at the Rio Olympic Games, as they seek to retain their Olympic title.
Jaime Roberts is eyeing success in the K2 500m event, which has yet to be secured for Rio. The Oceania Champs is the final qualification event for Olympic quotas yet to be secured by the Australian team, with three women’s and one men’s positions still obtainable.
Canoeing Australia National Performance Director, Richard Fox predicted a tense regatta as the serious business of Olympic selection commences.
“Every day of racing will have its significance, either in terms of an Olympic quota place or a win on the board in the Australian selection process, starting with Friday’s men’s K4 1000 final and women’s K1 200 final which promise to be close fought affairs,” he said.
“This is the first phase in the Olympic selection process and an opportunity for athletes to get a foot in the door with a win ahead of round two of trials at the nationals in three weeks’ time.”
“Importantly it is also the last opportunity for us to qualify the additional Oceania quotas we are chasing, particularly in women’s kayak, but also in men’s kayak and the men’s canoe events.”
The Oceania Championships run from February 12-14.
