Western Australian Institute of Sport kayakers Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird re-teamed to contest the final of the men’s K2 200m at World Cup 3 in Denmark, finishing sixth.
The result was the same as the pair registered at World Cup 1 in Portugal, before seat-racing at World Cup 2 in Germany, saw the duo trialled in new combinations, with neither boat progressing to the A Final.
In Copenhagen, the London Olympians qualified directly for the final after winning their heat before posting a time of 33.088 in the final for sixth position, with British pair Liam Heath and Jonathon Schofield winning gold in 32.004.
Fellow Australian team members Kenny Wallace and Lachlan Tame also contested the event, finishing third, in a time of 32.336.
Wallace and Tame then partnered Phillips and Bird to win bronze in the men’s K4 200m, which is not an Olympic event.
The Australians finished in 31.136, behind crews from Canada (30.272) and Sweden (30.440).
Phillips and Bird are endeavouring to stay overseas on an extended training camp in the UK in the lead up to this year’s World Championships in Milan, Italy in August.
The pair’s WAIS training partner and fellow Australian representative paddler Alana Nicholls is preparing to base herself on the Gold Coast for a four week training stint with the Australian K4 500m squad that competed well at World Cups 1 and 2.
The K4 boat finished fourth at both events and represents a realistic medal prospect at World Championships, in an event that will also form part of the sprint canoe program at the Olympic Games in Brazil next year.
