Last weekend saw WAIS athletes compete in the second regatta of the 2011/12 State series.
Australian national team members, Jesse Phillips and Steve Bird (Doubleview) had a great day with a very convincing win in the K2 200m in 32.66 seconds.
Bird also had a dominant paddle in the K1 200m with a comfortable win over Phillips, with Reece Baker (Marmion) third. Phillips recorded a minor upset in recording a PB time of 3.34mins in taking out the K1 1000m from Baker and a much improved Daniel Bowker.
In the K2 1000m, the crowd were entertained with a thrilling race that saw 200m specialists Bird and Phillips lead the field out before being past by Baker and Brendan Rice racing together for the first time, with Bowker and Brendon Sarson (Karrinyup) sitting about a length and a half behind.
Bowker and Sarson launched a withering burst at about the 600mmark that saw them surge through the field and open up a one length lead. Rice and Baker however, did not give up and were able to provide one last lift that ensured Bowker and Sarson had to push all the way to the line for the win.
Alana Nicholls competing in her first regatta of the season in the K1 200m recorded an impressive 42.5 even though she slowed down towards the closing stages with a couple of boat wobbles.
C Boat paddler Ferenc Szekszardi (Karrinyup) showed the benefits of full time training and not harming his Olympic aspirations when he recorded 4 min 18 sec in the C1 1000m which is the fastest time by an Australian since current National Head Coach and Olympic Medallist Martin Marinov was competing for Australia in the early 2000s.
