NZ qualify two more seats for the London Olympics

CANOE RACING NEW ZEALAND INC.

ICF OCEANIA CANOE SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP, PENRITH, SYDNEY

Day Two at the Oceania Champs

NZ qualify two more seats for the London Olympics

Today was about the key K1 races for men and women over the 1000m and 500m distances. New Zealand was eyeing up two Olympic qualification berths today and asked Teneale Hatton in the WK1 500 and Ben Fouhy in the MK1 1000 to contest these events.

After two very exciting races New Zealand both Hatton and Fouhy were successful in their events and have secured these two places for the NZ for the Olympics. We hope to gain two more seats tomorrow in the MK2 1000m. If successful New Zealand will add these four seats to the three gained already. At the last Olympics in Beijing the New Zealand Kayak sprint team gained four seats. The rest of the racing at the Oceania Champs saw the course hampered by weed affecting some individual results especially later in the day after a stronger wind came up blowing weed into the course.

The women’s 500m events saw all the team of six women progress through the semi’s into the finals with half in the A final and half in the B final. The fastest Kiwi in the A final was Lisa Carrington who was trying to add the 500m title to the 200m she won the previous day. Unfortunately Lisa was beaten by future Olympic hopeful from Australia Alana Nichols in a close race. Teneale Hatton finished 5th with Marianne Archer being hampered by weed to finish 9th. Erin Taylor dominated the B final followed by Rachel Dodwell in 3rd and Jamiee Lovett.

New Zealand entered three men in the MK1 1000m with four of the others concentrating on K2 events. Ben Fouhy stormed home in his heat winning by a clear margin and progressing direct to the final while the others moved through the semi finals. Steven Armstrong in his first New Zealand team regatta finished 2nd in the B final while Jasper Bats finished an impressive 4th in the A final signalling he is a young man to watch in the future of the sport. Fred Teear was hampered by two large piles of weed which was disappointing after a 2nd placing in his semi. Ben Fouhy was also hampered by weed in two locations but still fought on to finish 3rd but was subsequently DQ.

Tomorrow we look forward to some better conditions for the K2 racing over 500m for women and 1000m for men.

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