Paddlers to watch:
This Olympiad another Australian paddler is on the rise in Manly's Murray Stewart. Stewart proved unstoppable in K4, K2 and K1 events in the 2012 domestic season.
At the 2011 World Championships the men's K4 1000m crew of Stewart, Jacob Clear, Tate Smith, and David Smith came close to producing the upset of the Championships when they were edged out for gold by the favoured German crew. The Aussie quartet's silver medal secured a 2012 Games berth and established Australia as a force to be rekoned with in London. The women's K4 500m crew of Jo Brigden-Jones, Rachel Lovell and Beijing medallists Lyndsie Fogarty and Hannah Davis placed fifth to also secure a Games berth.
Ironwoman Naomi Flood combined with Fogarty to win the K2 500m at trials, while Perth debutante Alana Nicholls is proving herself to be the one to catch in the K1 after finishing 4th and 5th in the K1 200m and K1 500m respectively at the World Championships. Nicholls is poised to creep up the podium in 2012 after taking gold at the London Test Event in September.
Young Queenslanders Jake Donaghey and Alex Haas showed exceptional form to win the men's C2 events early in the domestic season and become Australia's youngest paddlers to compete at the Games.
CANOE SPRINT EVENTS
Formerly known as flatwater, Olympic canoe/kayak sprint has been overhauled since Beijing. The straight dash will be held on the Olympic rowing course at Eton Dorney. On debut is a fast and furious 30-second 200m distance, with women also racing over 500m and men tackling the traditional 1000m distance. The events are:
- Men: K1 200m, K1 1000m, K2 200m, K2 1000m, K4 1000m, C1 200m, C1 1000m, C2 1000m
- Women: K1 200m, K1 500m, K2 500m, K4 500m
QUALIFICATION AND SELECTION
Eight men’s events and four women’s events will be contested in London and Australia can only qualify one boat per event. Australia enters a team of 16 athletes thanks to strong performances at the 2011 Canoe Sprint World Championships (18-21 August, 2011) where Australia successfully qualified both K4 boats (men's 1000m and women's 500m) as well as the women's K1 500m. Australia earned more quota places through Continental Qualifying events including the Oceania Championships in Penrith (March 2-4, 2012).
For all the Nomination and Selection documentation click here>>>
AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC HISTORY
The Australians surged in 2008 and the Beijing Olympic Games produced the nation’s most successful canoe sprint campaign. Ken Wallace’s gold/ bronze double was accompanied by a bronze medal performance by Hannah Davis, Lyndsie Fogarty, Chantal Meek and Lisa Russ (Oldenhof) in the K4 500m. The girls won Australia’s first female K4 medal.
To read more about Australia’s Olympic canoe history, click here>>>