Van Koeverden won’t settle for second best at the world canoe and kayak championships August 19-22 in Poland - August 17th, 2010

POZNAN, Poland – Three-time Olympic medallist Adam Van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont., heads into this week’s world canoe and kayak championships on the heels of one of the best summers of training in his career.

Van Koeverden headlines a strong  33-member Canadian team for the championships which run from Thursday to Sunday (August 19-22).

“I really managed to stave off that staleness I sometimes feel at this point in the season,” said Van Koeverden, who’ll race in the K-1 (kayak singles) 500 and 1,000 metre events.  “The last few weeks of training are some of the best I’ve ever had in the summer.  I still have a lot of direct energy.”

The Poznan course is very familiar to Van Koeverden and has been a site for some memorable moments in his career.

“This is where I raced in my first worlds in 2001,” said Van Koeverden who earned three World Cup medals this season.  “I’ve also posted two of my fastest times here.  So it can be very fast and overall very challenging especially when there is a strong wind in the last 200 metres.”

Other Canadian men kayakers for the worlds are: Angus Mortimer, Rhys Hill and Corey Hamilton, all of Ottawa,  Richard Dober Jr of Trois-Rivieres, Que., Ryan Cochrane of Windsor, N.S., Hughes Fournel of Dorval, Que., Christopher Mehak of Toronto, Andrew Willows of Gananoque, Ont., Brady Reardon of Burlington, Ont., Connor Taras of Waverley, N.S., and Steve Jorens of Candiac, Que.

In men’s canoe, Canada has another strong medal contender in Mark Oldershaw of Burlington, Ont.   He decisively took the C-1 1,000 metre spot for the worlds and collected four medals on the World Cup circuit.  Now he won’t be satisfied with anything less than a podium appearance in Poland.

“I have the confidence and attitude now that I can beat the best in the world,” said Oldershaw.  “I really attack the race and go for the win.”

The men’s canoe squad also features Richard Dalton of Halifax, Andrew Russell of Dartmouth, N.S., and his brother Benjamin Russell, Gabriel Beauchesne-Sévigny of Trois-Rivieres, Que., Jonathan Pike of Waverley, Ian Mortimer of Ottawa, Jamie Andison of Oakville and Olympic bronze medallist Thomas Hall of Pointe-Claire, Que., who’ll race the C-4 1,000 with Ben Russell, Mortimer and Andison.

The women’s K-4 500 appears on the rise internationally with Emilie Fournel of Montreal,  Mylanie Barré of Lac-Beauport, Que., Kristin Gauthier of Ottawa and Genevieve Orton of Lake Echo, N.S.  The foursome was eighth at last year’s worlds.  Kia Byers of Regina and  Kathleen Fraser of Mississauga, Ont., are also on the squad.

“We’ve really put a lot work into our K-4,” said Fournel.  “We would love to improve upon our result from last year’s worlds.  We have to start building that road toward the Olympic podium right now.”

In women’s canoe, Laurence Vincent-Lapointe and Trois-Rivieres, Que., and Mallorie Nicholson of Oakville, Ont., are the Canadian entries.

For the first time at the world championships Paracanoe races for athletes with a disability will be official events.  The Canadian entries are Chris Pearson and Christine Selinger of Regina, Christine Gauthier of  Pointe-Claire, Que., and Tony Flores, St. Albert, Alta.

These will be the first world championships since the 200-metre sprint has replaced the 500 in numerous Olympic paddling events.

“The addition of the 200 has shifted our focus and our training methods,” said CanoeKayak sprint high performance director Graham Barton.  “But Canada has traditionally done well in the 200  and we are confident it can continue in the future.”

Competition starts Thursday with heats and semis in the 1,000 metres, on Friday it’s heats and semis in the 500, on Saturday 1,000 metre finals and heats in the 200 and on Sunday finals in the 200 and 500.

The Canadian paddling team is coming off its strongest overall showing at the world championships last summer in Halifax.  Canada placed a best-ever third overall in the nation standings earning one gold and three bronze medals.

On-site contact: Lorraine Lafrenière, CanoeKayak Canada, cell: (613) 769-6772

Websites

www.canoekayak.ca

http://kayak2010.com/en/programme.html

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