August 18, 2011

Four Canadian boats qualify for finals at world canoe and kayak championships

Double gold for Canada in Paracanoe events

SZEGED, Hungary – Adam van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont., Mark Oldershaw of Burlington, Ont., as well as the men’s C-2 500 and C-4 1,000 all qualified for finals for Canada on Thursday at the world canoe and kayak championships.

It was a great start for the Canadians who have an opportunity to earn Olympic team spots for next year’s Games in London at these championships.

Meanwhile in the Paracanoe events for paddlers with a physical disability, Canada struck gold twice with Christine Selinger of Regina and Christine Gauthier of Pointe-Claire, Que.  Paracanoe races count as official events at the worlds.

In the men’s K-1 1,000, van Koeverden, a three-time Olympic medallist and a seven-time world championship medallist, won his opening round and semifinal heats.  In the semis he clocked 3:27.693 almost three seconds faster than his closest pursuer.

In the men’s C-1 1,000, Oldershaw showed why he reached the podium at both World Cup events this season winning his semifinal heat in 3;53.17 for the third fastest time overall.

In the C-2 500, Thomas Hall of Pointe-Claire, Que., and Ben Russell of Dartmouth, N.S., won a squeaker semifinal over German pair Peter Kretschmer and Kurt Kuschela to gain a berth in the final.

Finally in the C-4 1,000, Hall, Russell, Paul Bryant of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Ian Mortimer of Ottawa took the semifinal by almost three full seconds over an American crew.

All four finals are on Friday.

Paracanoe world champions

In Paracanoe, Selinger took the gold in the V1 (trunks and arms disability)  200-metre clocking 1:11.882 with Brit Gottschalk of Germany second in 1:13.490 and Tami Hetke of the U.S., third in 1:14.660.  A record 74 entries for the Para canoe events are on hand at these world championships.

Selinger added a silver in the TA K-1 200 as well.

Gauthier took gold in the K-1 200 LTA (disability in legs, trunk and arms) event in 56.425 well ahead of her closest pursuers.

Dave Waters of Dartmouth was ninth in the men’s V1 200, Suleiman Muse of Toronto sixth in the men’s A K-1 200

Canadian team for the world canoe and kayak championships August 17-21 in Szeged, Hungary

MEN

Canoe: Richard Dalton, Halifax; Aaron Rublee, Kamloops, B.C.; Mark Oldershaw, Burlington, Ont.; Gabriel Beauchesne-Sévigny, Trois-Rivieres, Que.; Andrew Russell, Dartmouth, N.S.; Thomas Hall, Pointe-Claire Que.;  Ben Russell, Dartmouth, N.S., Paul Bryant, Richmond Hill, Ont., and Ian Mortimer of Ottawa.

Kayak : Mark de Jonge, Dartmouth, N.S.; Connor Taras, Waverley, N.S.; Etienne Moreau, Lac-Beauport, Que.; Rhys Hill, Ottawa; Ryan Cochrane, Windsor, N.S.; Hughes Fournel, Dorval, Que.; Adam van Koeverden, Oakville, Ont.; Steve Jorens, Richmond Hill, Ont.; Richard Dober Jr., Trois-Rivieres, Que.; Brady Reardon, Burlington, Ont.; Chris Mehak, Toronto; Andrew Pickrem, Waverley; Corey Hamilton, Ottawa.

WOMEN

Kayak: Kia Byers, Regina; Karen Furneaux, Waverley, N.S.; Émilie Fournel, Lachine, Que.; Kristin Gauthier, Ottawa; Genevieve Orton, Lake Echo, N.S.; Mylanie Barré, Lac-Beauport, Que.; KC Fraser, Mississauga, Ont.; Una Lounder, Dartmouth, N.S.; Genevieve Beauchesne-Sévigny, Trois-Rivières, Que.

Canoe: Mallorie Nicholson, Oakville, Ont.; Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, Trois-Rivieres, Que.

PARACANOE

Men : Jean Dagher, Ottawa; Tony Flores, Edmonton; Suleiman Muse, Toronto; Dave Waters, Dartmouth, N.S.

Women : Christine Gauthier, Pointe-Claire, Que.; Christine Selinger, Regina.

INFORMATION

Team Canada: www.canoekayak.ca

Official results: http://szeged2011.com/

On site contact:

Lorraine Lafrenière
Directrice générale/Director General

CanoeKayak Canada
c: 613-769-6772

Email: llafreniere@canoekayak.ca
Skype: lorraine.lafreniere

Contact in Canada:

Ian Miller

Communications and Marketing Officer

CanoeKayak Canada

Tel: 613-314-1352

E-mail: imiller@canoekayak.ca