The Australian sprint kayak team has contested the inaugural Junior and U23 Canoe sprint World Championships in Welland, Canada with five WAIS athletes in action.
In a tough and competitive campaign, a sole bronze medal to Queensland’s Bill Bain in the men’s K1 1000m was the best of the Australian contingent, as a series of A finals qualification were unconverted into multiple medals.
Of the WAIS competitors, an eighth place finish for Shannon Reynolds in the final of the Junior K4 500m was the best result. Reynolds also contested the women’s K1 200m, but was unable to progress past the semi final stage.
Todd Brewer – competing in his first Australian representative team – raced in the U23 men’s K1 200m event, but similarly fund the going tough, and was eliminated at the semi final stage.
Jaymee Lee Martin and Pheobe George combined to compete in the women’s U23 K2 500m event but like Brewer and Reynolds in the K1 200m, bowed out at semi-final stage.
The countdown has began to the 2013 Canoe Sprint World Championships with just three weeks until the opening day of competition in Duisburg, Germany.
Australia’s senior women and 200 metre men are currently preparing for Worlds at the European Training Centre in Varese, Italy. This group includes four WAIS athletes, with Jesse Phillips, Steve Bird, Brodie Holmes and Alana Nicholls all in final preparation.
Joining them later in the week will be U23 stars Alyce Burnett and Amy Peters who are currently in transit from the Junior and U23 Worlds in Canada.
Things are going well here in Verase, Italy,” said National Women’s Head Coach David Foureur.
“Upon arrival our National women’s sprint team were met with scorching temperatures (close to 40 degrees) training has been progressing well with four of the team now over the travel and really starting to knuckle down to a solid weeks training.”
The Australian Paracanoe team lead by Coach Andrea Wood will also use the ETC as a training base prior to Worlds and will arrive on Thursday.
The 1000 metre men are in a training camp in Szolnok, Hungary.
The World Championships begin on the 28th August.
-with CanoeingAustralia
