Australia’s Junior, U23 and senior world championship representatives enjoyed a perfect preparation for their upcoming titles over the weekend, with WAIS athletes medalling across all age levels at the Auronzo International Regatta in Italy.
With the Australians setting up base in Italy in preparation for the world championships, the weekend regatta, nestled amongst the picturesque landscape of Venice, provided a competitive platform for the athletes to test their form.
The Auronzo International Regatta falls outside the ICF World Cup series, and as such doesn’t attract the broadest world class field, but it did provide the Australians a competitive opportunity ahead of the combined Junior and U23 World Championships in Hungary (July 17-20) and senior titles in Moscow (August 6-10) with a meaningful chance to test their wares.
WAIS athletes Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird enjoyed a solid weekend of racing to record victories in both their pet K2 200m event and the longer form K2 500m.
The London Olympians clocked an impressive 33.17 for victory in the K2 200m to win ahead of emerging Australian U23 duo of Mark Stowe and Robert McIntyre, who were a further 1.4 seconds behind. Phillips and Bird were able to get a second win for the regatta, taking victory in the K2 500m in a time of 1:32.24.
WAIS athlete Jaime Roberts – who will make her senior world championship debut in 2014 – was part of two gold medal winning performances in the K4 events, winning firstly, the K4 500m title with newly formed quad partners; Cat McArthur, Alyce Burnett and Bernie Wallace (1:37.11). The same quartet backed up to win the K4 200m later in the regatta.
Despite preparing for the U23 championships, WAIS athlete Shannon Reynolds used the opportunity to compete in senior events, highlighted by winning a bronze medal in the in the final of the women’s K1 500m behind Australian Naomi Flood.
Reynolds enjoyed a busy campaign, also finishing fourth in the final of the women’s K1 200m, this time taken out by Australia’s Jo Brigden-Jones, before forming part of the triumphant women’s K4 1000m squad with Cat McArthur, Alyssa Bull and Rebecca Mann – who won by over ten seconds from second place.
The developing talent within the WAIS kayaking squad showed plenty of promise in Venice too, with Nick Pond and Sam McTigue picking up gold in the K2 200m and 500m events at junior level, as well as a bronze in the K2 500m at U23 level. Fellow WAIS paddler Alex Graham won gold in the junior K1 200m final, taking victory in 37.71 to finish half a second clear of the field.
