The late entry of Western Australian Institute of Sport athletes Stephen Bird and Jesse Phillips has added further spice to what is sizing up to be a thrilling title race in the Fish River Canoe marathon this weekend in South Africa.
While Phillips will be making his Fish debut, the race will be an uplifting return for former Michaelhouse schoolboy Bird, who took the brave decision to relocate to Australia to further his Olympic canoeing dreams.
That gamble has already paid handsome dividends, as he and Phillips raced into the A final of the 200m K2 at the ICF World Championships in Poland last month, bracketing them amongst the best sprint crews in the world at the moment, and genuine Olympic contenders.
At the end of their gruelling sprint season the pair travelled to Ireland for the famous Liffey Descent outside Dublin, which they won against a strong field.
“I have heard so much about the Fish, and have always wanted to do it, because I love wild water and the tactics of marathon racing,” said 24 year old Phillips. “I believe we are up for a top ten finish. We have the speed, and as long as we manage ourselves over the distance, we should be okay.”
They have opted to switch seats for the river races, to allow Bird to use his experience on the Fish steering the boat. Bird was a very successful competitor, particularly in the junior ranks, and will be starting his seventh Fish next Friday.
The pair started racing together largely by accident. Phillips was plucked from a Perth talent identification programme and earmarked as a potential international sprinter in 1999. It was only when his regular K2 partner was laid low by glandular fever that he started looking around for a replacement, and asked Bird to try out.
“We clicked pretty much from the word go,” said Bird. “Our power application is so complementary, and we just have the same water-feel that makes for a really quick boat.”
“We smoked our first regatta together,” says Phillips. “When the ICF changed the Olympic structure in 2009 to factor in the 200m, we committed to that distance, and basically the national squad went in two completely different directions, because the 1000m and 200m races are so different.”
“With all the work I have been doing on my legs I look like a rugby player,” said Bird. “But that’s where all the power and rhythm comes from in paddling.”
Bird has been tucking in behind his older brother Doug Bird for their final preparations for the Fish and raced a regional race on the Upper Umgeni on the weekend as part of their build-up to the big race into Cradock next weekend.
“I can’t wait!” enthused Phillips. “What isn’t inviting about coming to the Fish?”
While many of Bird’s friends will struggle to reconcile him as one of the international paddlers in this year’s race, the Aussie duo will join Max Hoff and Stefan Stiefehoefer of Germany, Czech Republic stars Robert Knebel and Tom√°≈° Slov√°k, and the French wild water world champs Lo√Øc Vynisale and Quentin Bonnetain to mount a major challenge to the race title.
Spanish world champ Manuel Busto Fernandes raced onto the podium in 2001, and in recent years Max Hoff has raced two second place finishes in the K1 and K2 races, but no international paddlers have been able to win the race outright. Czech Republic stats Micha Mruskova and Katerina Vacikova have managed to win the women’s title.
– Fish Marathon Official Website
