Kayakers impress at Nationals
POWERHOUSE: Whanganui's Toby Brooke (former student) on his way to second in the K1 5000 final at the NZCT New Zealand Canoe Sprint Championships at Lake Karapiro over the weekend.
PHOTOS / Jamie Troughton
Whanganui paddlers rose to the challenge against stiff opposition to bring home gold, silver and bronze from the NZCT 2018 Canoe Sprint Championships on Lake Karapiro at the weekend.
A squad of 19 Whanganui Kayak Club paddlers proved the right team culture, coaching and parental and friendship support are ingredients for success.
With the sport in New Zealand currently boasting numerous world open and u23 world titles through the likes of Lisa Carrington and Aimee Fisher, the Whanganui team was set to be tested.
Despite the level and depth of competition the team more than held its own returning with six gold, four silver and 11 bronze medals from A finals as well as a couple of excellent B final wins.
Leading the charge on day one were the U14 boys who secured a gold medal in the K4 200 metres in the first final of the regatta.
The young team of Alex Hamblyn, Sam Cranstone, Angus Sewell and Zane Mills-Nossiter combined well in their first U14 race together and set the bar for the rest of their regatta.
With all boys managing to make finals in the U13 division the standout was Mills-Nossiter with a win in all three individual races with Hamblyn ably backing those performances with a bronze in the individual K1 100.
In the u16 division Whanganui's only U16 male competitor, George Pedley, teamed up with New Plymouth and Wellington crews and was able to secure A final berths in all his team boat races with two bronze medals in the K4 200 and 500.
The U16 girls, Sophie Brooke, Jess Thompson, Anna Clifton and Ara Moliyn, secured a hard-fought bronze in their K4 200 race with Brooke going on to be the standout female.
Having fought off a viral infection during the week her regatta improved as she regained her strength with her final day being a standout winning a silver in the K1 500, then backing up with a gold in the K1 5000.
In the U18 division the tables were turned for Whanganui as the only U18 female Nanea Schurhammer teamed up with crews from Wellington and U16 paddler Brooke to have her best regatta yet.
"With another year in the division and the U16 girls moving into the U18 division next year there will be scope for performance as the team builds depth in that division," Whanganui coach Brian Scott said.
Although not lacking in depth the Whanganui U18 boys had a medical setback during the season when stroke Cameron Russell broke a collar bone in a mountain biking mishap.
Despite the setback, what was shaping up to be a very close finish for the title between three of the stronger clubs in New Zealand - Christchurch, Poverty Bay and Whanganui - proved to be just that.
"Although putting up a valiant effort in both the K4 200 and the K4 500 the boys had to settle for a bronze in both races, a testament to the growing depth in a sport where anything other than perfect preparation and a perfect race has performance consequences," Scott said.
It appeared that bronze was the colour for the boys as both K2 pairings of Liam Lace/Jack Clifton and Lucas Thompson/Jack Clifton had close racing to win bronze in the K2 1000 and K2 200.
"The boys showed their versatility with A final berths in both the K1 200 and K1 1000 events with Thompson winning a bronze in the K1 5000 followed by Lace and Clifton in 4th and 5th respectively and Clifton just missing medals in both the K1 200 and K1 1000 events where he placed 4th."
In the novice division new competitor James Hodges raced well and put himself in medal contention early only to be passed by Mark Stoneman who was racing in his first canoe racing New Zealand sprint regatta, having crossed over from multisport/endurance type racing.
It proved to be Stoneman's weekend with three bronzes in the K1 100, 200 and 500.
Not to be outdone by the youngsters and the novice group the open competitors included Erica Tanner, Toby Brooke and Max Brown.
The highlight of the weekend for Tanner was lining up with her 15-year-old club mate Sophie Brooke in the K2 500 with the world champion combination of Lisa Carrington and Caitlyn Ryan in the lane next to them.
Although outgunned it was an experience and showed the younger girls the standard the top New Zealand paddlers are at.
In the men's division Toby Brooke was racing in his first nationals for two years after a back injury. Although still in a rebuilding phase he showed his class by making the A final of the men's K1 1000 and then pushing on to win silver in the men's K1 5000.
Brown claims club's first Open Gold
But the standout open paddler for the regatta was a much-improved Max Brown who won the club's first ever open GOLD medal when teaming with Kurtis Imrie of Wellington to win the K2 1000 event in a nail-biting battle.
That performance was backed up by a fantastic race in the K1 1000 where a late charge wasn't quite enough to snatch the gold medal from Quaid Thompson, son of Olympic gold medallist Alan Thompson, but a fine performance nevertheless.
"Needless to say I'm very proud of this group. They had a great weekend of racing, but also just the inclusive culture and open mindset that the athletes display makes this a great team to be around. The parent support was fantastic too, and that just added to the culture of the weekend," Scott said.
By Staff Reporter
Wanganui Chronicle 1/3/18
PHOTO below by Jamie Troughton
PURE POWER: Whanganui's Max Brown pushes through the pain barrier on his way to second in the men's K1 1000m at the NZCT NZ Canoe Sprint Champs at Lake Karapiro.
