Kayak

Kayaker Shannon Reynolds' sporting journey has seen her go from the WAIS Talent Search program to the Australian Olympic Team.

We kick off the new year with our catch up with experienced Olympic sprint kayaker Steve Bird to find out the main reason why he got into the sport, whilst we also learnt of his interest in music away from the water.

WA kayaker Jaime Roberts has won dual sprint canoe national titles as a member of victorious K4 500 and K4 200 crews.

WA athletes have enjoyed a successful campaign at GP2 in Penrith with a number of athletes hitting form at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.

After a strong performance at the first GP event for the Australian domestic season late last year, WA kayaker Jaime Roberts has produced another successful campaign at the NSW State titles, returning several podium finishes.

Western Australian Institute of Sport paddler Stephen Bird has become the first WA athlete to earn nomination onto the Australian >

WAIS kayaker Steve Bird has advanced to the final of the men's K1 200m at the National Championships in Perth >

WAIS kayaker Stephen Bird has taken a significant step towards nomination for the 2016 Australian Olympic Team after winning the >

The race for Olympic selection begins for Australia's best sprint canoe athletes this Friday at the Oceania Championships at Adelaide's >

Western Australia's Rio Olympic kayak hopefuls sharpened their preparations over the weekend at the WA Sprint Canoe State Championships at >

Western Australia's 200m paddlers enjoyed a successful campaign at GP1 in Adelaide, with Stephen Bird claiming the K1 event, before >

The long road towards selection for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games for Australia's sprint canoe athletes takes a formative step >

WAIS kayakers have missed out on team boat qualifications for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games following the 2015 ICF Sprint >

WAIS athletes Alana Nicholls, Jesse Phillips and Steve Bird will this week attempt to help Australia qualify a full quota >

Western Australia's competing athletes at the Junior and U23 Flatwater Sprint Canoe World Championships in Portugal have performed well at >

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.

WAIS kayaker Alana Nicholls and the Australian women's K4 500m squad has narrowly missed a bronze medal at World Cup 2 in Germany following a thrilling final.

WAIS kayakers Jesse Phillips and Steve Bird have made a strong start to their 2015 European season with a sixth place finish in the men's K2 200m at World Cup 1 in Portugal.

The ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup series commences from Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal on Friday with five WAIS athletes set to feature.

Following the weekend's Sprint Canoe National Championships in Sydney, WAIS has had eight athletes named onto 2015 Australian representative teams.

WAIS kayaker Alana Nicholls has completed the 2015 Australian Sprint Canoe Championships with four gold medals after a highly impressive campaign in Sydney.

Western Australian Institute of Sport kayakers have made a highly successful start to the 2015 Australian Sprint Canoe National Championships in Penrith.

WAIS athlete Steve Bird has put himself in a strong position to secure a senior men's berth on the Australian canoe sprint team for 2015 after winning the K1 200m final at GP2 in Penrith last weekend.

Western Australian Institute of Sport sprint pair Steve Bird and Jesse Phillips have spent part of their off-season training in the Perisher Valley.

WA has strengthened its reputation as custodians of 200m paddling in Australia, after WAIS paddlers dominated the distance at GP 1 in Adelaide on Sunday.

WAIS athletes competing at the 2014 ICF Sprint Canoe World Championships in Russia have produced solid performances in B Finals, with Alana Nicholls taking a win and the K2 200m pair of Jesse Philips and Stephen Bird setting a new personal best in finishing fourth.

The next generation of future Olympic aspirants have arrived in Hungary ahead of the ICF Junior and U23 World Championships which commence today in Szeged, Hungary.

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.

WAIS kayakers competed at third and final round of the World Cup series on the weekend with a B Final win to Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird in the men's K2 200m highlighting WA's campaign in Hungary.

WAIS kayakers Jesse Philips, Stephen Bird and Brodie Holmes have represented Australia at the ICF World Cup event in Racice, Czech Republic over the weekend.

Western Australian Institute of Sport athlete Jaime Roberts has contested the first ICF Sprint Canoe World Cup for 2014, finishing seventh as a member of the Australian women's K4 500m event.

WAIS kayakers Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird secured a fifth national title at the Australian Sprint Championships at Adelaide's West Lakes on the weekend, highlighting a strong campaign from WA's contingent.

WAIS athlete Alana Nicholls has won a fourth consecutive Australian Sprint title in the women's K1 500m after narrowly defeating NSW's Naomi Flood.

The 2014 National Sprint Championships begin in Adelaide tomorrow from the West Lakes Canoe Club.

WAIS athletes had a successful and final hit out prior to Nationals at the South Australian State Championships held at West Lakes which will also host the National Championships in a fortnight.

Western Australian Institute of Sport kayaker Shannon Reynolds has been selected in Australia's U23 squad to contest this year's World Championships after earning qualification at the weekend selection regatta in Penrith.

The 2014 Canoe Sprint Oceania Championships will be held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre this weekend, with the event also doubling as the selection event for the Australian U23 squad with WAIS athletes vying for selection.

The WA State Canoe Sprint Championships were held last weekend with a host of WAIS athletes setting PBs along the way to state titles.

With the Australian domestic season approaching, the WAIS Canoeing Program has embarked on an altitude camp, some 2000m above sea level as it seeks the very best preparation ahead of next month's State Championships.

Members of the WAIS Canoeing program have enjoyed a productive first hit out of the summer domestic season, returning a host of medals across all disciplines at GP1 at Adelaide's West Lakes course.

Canoe Sprint racing returns to Australian shores this Friday when West Lakes, South Australia hosts Grand Prix 1 (GP1).

Canoe sprint racing will return early next month when West Lakes, South Australia hosts Grand Prix 1 (GP1) from 6-8 December.

WAIS kayakers have competed successfully at the 2013 Sprint Canoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany with Alana Nicholls racing two finals and the men's K2 200m squad setting a new personal best in winning a B Final.

The senior sprint and Paracanoe teams are busy making their final preparations for the ICF World Championships which begin in Duisburg, Germany on Wednesday.

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.

Five WAIS paddlers will line up starting today through till Sunday in the U18 and U23 World Championships in Welland Canada.

WAIS athletes Stephen Bird, Jesse Phillips, Alana Nicholls, Brodie Holmes and Brock Ingram have been selected in a 24-member Australian Canoeing squad for the 2013 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Duisburg, Germany.

Western Australian Olympic kayaker Stephen Bird has awoken this morning to find his K1 kayak has been stolen from the roof of his car overnight at the Doubleview address he is house sitting for his sister.

Following the completion of the Australian domestic flatwater kayaking season, a number of the WAIS canoe group competed at the weekend Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast.

Western Australian Institute of Sport duo Steve Bird and Jesse Phillips confirmed their status as the nations best 200m paddlers >

WAIS athlete Alana Nicholls rediscovered some of the form which saw her taste success on the World Cup circuit last year with a hard fought victory in the women's K1 500 final today.

WAIS Canoe program head coach Ramon Andersson is predicting some bright performances from his squad as they prepare for this week's National Sprint Kayak Championships at Perth's Champion Lakes.

The WAIS kayaking group competing at Grand Prix 3 in Penrith have returned some impressive performances, with Stephen Bird winning the K1 200m on his return to racing following surgery after last year's Olympic Games and two athletes gaining selection onto the Australian U23 team.

Australia's premiere sprint kayakers will return to action tomorrow for Grand Prix 3 at the Sydney International Regatta Centre with a star studded field assembled for the three day event.

The 2013 Western Australian Canoe Sprint Championships were held in ideal conditions over the weekend with six senior athletes from SASI and one from NSW creating a high quality field of racing.

WAIS head coach Ramon Andersson reports on the start of a busy summer for the WAIS kayaking squad.With the 2012 >

WAIS kayaker Shannon Reynolds has been selected in a 16 strong canoe/kayak team for the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival to be held in Sydney.

WAIS-AIS kayaking athletes Alana Nicholls, Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird completed a successful world cup series by winning medals at the final event in Moscow last weekend.

WAIS-AIS kayaker Alana Nicholls has won silver and bronze medals at the Duisburg World Cup event in Germany over the weekend.

WAIS-AIS kayaker Alana Nicholls has recorded a fifth place finish in the women's K1 200m final at World Cup 1 in Poland over the weekend.

Current and former World Champions including Adam Van Koeverden (CAN), Max Hoff (GER), Eirik Veraas Larsen (NOR), Lisa Carrington (NZL), Yvonne Schurring and Viktoria Schwartz (AUT) have all confirmed their participation in the first World Cup of the 2012 season, ensuring an exciting weekend of racing ahead.

WAIS-AIS sprint kayak athletes Alana Nicholls, Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird have today been officially selected by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Western Australian Institute of Sport athlete Shannon Reynolds enjoyed a dominant campaign in the under-18 events at the Australian Championships in Sydney last week reaffirming her position as the top female junior paddler in the country.

WAIS-AIS kayaking athletes Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird have claimed the K2 200m national title at the Sydney International Regatta Centre over the weekend, earning themselves Olympic nomination.

WAIS-AIS athlete Alana Nicholls held out a late challenge from New Zealand's Lisa Carrington to win the Women's K1 500 final at the 2012 Australian Sprint Canoe Championships last Friday.

Western Australian Institute of Sport pairing Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird took a giant step towards Olympic nomination when they won the Men's K2 200m final at the Oceania Championships in Penrith on Sunday.

WAIS-AIS kayaker Alana Nicholls will be formally nominated by Canoeing Australia for Olympic Selection after claiming the first two races in a best of three format for the women's K1 200m spot.

As a nation with a natural affinity to the surf, it is little wonder that many of Australia's budding Olympians have launched into their respective sports via surf lifesaving.

WAIS kayaking athletes are finalizing preparations for the opening rounds of Olympic selection events in Sydney next week, as the race to London begins.

The WAIS kayaking program will turn its attentions to the home matters this weekend as the entire squad compete at the WA State Sprint Championships at Champion Lakes.

With WAIS athletes only four weeks away from the first round of Olympic selection trials, the fourth regatta of the local regatta season will provide the paddlers an opportunity to consolidate their race plans and build on what has so far been a successful season.

WAIS-AIS kayaking athlete Alana Nicholls and WAIS coach Ramon Andersson have won major awards at the 2011 Australian Canoeing Annual Awards in Sydney.

After a successful European summer of racing, capped off by some outstanding performances at the World Championships in Szeged, where the Australian's qualified a total of nine quotas and collected three medals, Australia's senior sprint paddlers have returned to training this week after spending the last few weeks on holiday.

WAIS-AIS athlete Alana Nicholls has given herself a major confidence boost ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, by winning the test event at Eton over the weekend.

WAIS kayaker Alana Nicholls has narrowly missed out on a medal after two finals appearances at the 2011 World Championships in Hungary.

In the lead up to the 2011 World Sprint Canoe Championships in Hungary, WAIS-AIS kayaker Alana Nicholls spoke about the Szeged venue and her preparations for the event that starts today.

The Canoe Sprint World Championships commence in Szeged Hungary with the Australian Team in high spirits.

With the 2011 World Sprint Canoe Championships set to get underway in Hungary this week, WAIS kayaker Jesse Phillips has spoken of his "relief" that he and K2 200m teammate Stephen Bird will be lining up in the green and gold for Australia.

WAIS Kayaking athletes have been working on their race starts using state of the art equipment at the Challenge Stadium outdoor pool, in an effort they hope will apply the finishing touches before this year's World Championships.

WAIS-AIS kayaker Alana Nicholls has won her maiden World Cup gold medal in the women's K1 500m final in Racice, Czech Republic at World Cup 2.

This weekend will see WAIS athletes compete in World Cup 2 in Racice, Czech Republic against 45 countries.

WAIS-AIS athlete Alana Nicholls has won her first ever world cup medals in Poland over the weekend winning a silver medal in the women's K1 500m and a bronze in the K1 200m finals.

WAIS athletes Jesse Phillips (Doubleview), Steve Bird (Doubleview) and Alana Nicholls (City Beach) have departed Perth for Europe to contest the first of three World Cups in Poznan, Poland commencing on Friday and running through to Sunday.

WAIS paddlers starred at the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships in Kurrawa last week. Reece Baker (Marmion) and Brendon Sarson (Karrinyup), >

WAIS-AIS kayaker Alana Nicholls has produced a blistering run of form at the National Selection Trials in Penrith to secure her ticket into the Australian team for August's World Championships in Hungary.

The WAIS kayaking program has returned its strongest ever set of results from a national championship campaign, with WAIS scholarship holders winning scores of medals at last week's event in Adelaide.

WAIS kayaking athletes have made a strong start to the 2011 Australian Canoeing National Sprint Championships on Adelaide's West Lakes course.

The 2010/11 State Canoe Sprint Championships were held over the weekend at the Champion Lakes Regatta Centre in Armadale with WAIS athletes returning encouraging results.

WAIS athletes excelled in GP2 at the Sydney International Regatta in Penrith over the weekend. In a very strong regatta with competitors from eight countries including full strength teams from Great Britain and New Zealand, racing was very intense.

Last week saw a record field of nearly 300 take on "The Doctor" from Rottnest to Sorrento. The race was won by New South Welshman and former Australian Kayak representative Tim Jacobs in a nail biting finish from Queensland's Bruce Taylor.

WAIS athlete Reece Baker (Marmion) paddled a superb race in the final of the Smartline Fenn Cup ocean race in Sydney over the weekend.

Last weekend saw WAIS paddlers race in the third stage of the State Regatta Series at Champion Lakes. WAIS athlete >

WAIS paddlers kicked off the National Grand Prix regatta series in fine style in Adelaide over the weekend with the highlight being an upset win in the K4 1000m.

Last weekend's Bay to Beach paddle saw WAIS sparring partners produce a heart stopping finish to the line.

WAIS athletes performed exceptionally well at the National Camps Selection Trials held at the new Coomera course on the Gold Coast over the weekend.

Western Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder Reece Baker (Marmion) confirmed he is back in form after recording a comfortable win in the annual Classic Paddle over 14km from Perth to Fremantle over the weekend.

The WAIS paddling crew are gearing up for one of the busiest weekends on the Perth circuit with the stage >

Jesse Phillips (Rivervale) and Steve Bird (Mt Pleasant) rounded out their post World Championship tour in style over the weekend with a highly credible seventh place in the prestigious Fish Marathon in South Africa over 84km.

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.

Western Australian Institute of Sport kayaking pair Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird have continued their successful world trip, this time claiming victory in South Africa.

WAIS-AIS athletes Jesse Phillips (Rivervale) and Steve Bird (Mt Pleasant) continued on with their successful overseas campaign with a win in the K2 class of the Liffey Descent in Ireland over the weekend.

WAIS pair Jesse Phillips (Rivervale) and Steve Bird have picked up two bronze medals at the World University Games in Poland after narrowly missing silver by 0.1 seconds in boththe K2 500m final and 200m finals.

WAIS athletes Jesse Phillips (Rivervale) and Steve Bird (Mount Pleasant) produced a personal best in finishing fourth in the B Final of the K2 200m at the World Canoe Sprint Championships in Poznan, Poland recently.

WAIS-AIS athletes Jesse Phillips and Steve Bird will compete in the sprint kayak World Championships in Poznan, Poland this weekend.

The lowest water levels in Avon Descent history made things tough going for competitors during last weekend's event.

Western Australian Institute of Sport kayak athletes Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird have secured their spot in the K2 200m boat for this month's World Championships in Poland.

WAIS athletes Jesse Phillips (Rivervale) and Steve Bird (Mt Pleasant) dominated the K2 events at the inaugural winter regatta held at Champion Lakes on the weekend.

Daniel Bowker (Kingsley) paddled well over the weekend at the Italian National Selection Regatta in Mergozzo, Italy.

WAIS athletes Jesse Phillips (Rivervale) and Steve Bird (Mount Pleasant) returned very respectable results fromWorld Cup 3 in Duisburg, Germany over the weekend.

Last weekend WAIS-AIS kayaking athletes Jesse Phillips (Rivervale) and Steve Bird (Mt Pleasant) came a very creditable seventh (and 1st Australian)in the K2 200m at World Cup 2 in Szeged, Hungary after strong second place finishes in their heat and semi final.

WAIS athletes Jesse Phillips (Rivervale)and Steve Bird (Mount Pleasant)opened their European tour with three wins over the weekend at the Italian National Selection Regatta in Milan, Italy.

WAIS-AIS scholarship holder Jesse Phillips and WAIS athlete Stephen Bird combined to win the K2 200m national title at the weekend's Canoeing Sprint Championships in Penrith.

The 2009/2010 State Canoe Sprint Championships provided an ideal warm up for all WAIS paddlers who depart for Nationals in a week and a half.

The Second Grand Prix of the season was held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre over the weekend with WAIS competitors scoring mixed results.

WAIS athlete Brendon Sarson (Balcatta) had a very strong paddle tofinish eighth in the "Doctor" World Cup Ocean Race on the weekend.

The Fourth Regatta of the summer flat water kayaking season was held at Champion Lakes earlier in January with WAIS athletes providing plenty of highlights.

WAIS athlete Brendon Sarson (Balcatta) put in an excellent performance last week in the Dubai Shamaal International Surf Ski race over 20km coming in ninth overall, an improvement of five places from last year.

WAIS athlete Brendon Sarson (Balcatta) had a comfortable winin the Bay2Beach race over 17km from Mosman Bay out past the >

WAIS athletes have enjoyed another successful weekend in local competition with Brendon Sarson and Jesse Phillips both tasting victory in >

600 paddlers will take to the water this Sunday in the prestigious Classic Paddle over 14km from the Narrows Bridge >

Sunday 4th October saw the first race of the local marathon competition season kick off with the popular Island to >

WAIS paddler Alana Nicholls has produced an impressive campaign in her debut World Championship appearance at Dartmouth, Canada finishing sixth >

  The Western Australian Institute of Sport has had a an equal best three scholarship holders selected into the national >

WAIS athletes contributed to Australia finishing third overall on points in kayaksbehind powerhouse countries Germany and Hungary at the third >

The Australian Senior Canoe Sprint Team will compete in the third and final World Cup in Szeged, Hungary this weekend >

WAIS's biggest ever contingent in an Australian Senior Canoe Sprint team lines up for the first World Cup of the >

Four WAIS athletes have arrived in Europe to join with their national team mates ahead of the first World Cup >