Selection looms for kayakers - March 2016

BACK FOR MORE: The NZ U23 crew (from left) Kurtis Imrie (Mana) and former WHS students, Whanganui's Toby Brooke, Max Brown and Aiden Nossiter take a break at last year's Worlds in Portugal. All are again in the frame for the Worlds in Belarus in July.

THE NZCT canoe sprint national championships at Lake Karapiro at the weekend proved a happy hunting ground for at least five Whanganui paddlers.

Max Brown, Toby Brooke, Aiden Nossiter, Erica Tanner and Sapere Simon all made A finals in their respective grades to gain spots in the national age group trials and possible selection for the New Zealand teams for the World U18 and U23 championships in Belarus over July 28-31 this year.

The trials will be held at Lake Karapiro on March 12-13.

Whanganui Triathlon and Multisport kayak coach Brian Scott said all five fully deserved a crack at making New Zealand teams after their performances at the weekend.

"Both Toby and Aiden were carrying back injuries yet still stumped up to the nationals. If they had been fully fit our teams may well have done even better than they did," Scott said yesterday.

Brown finished third in his U23 A final, while Brooke and Nossiter finished fourth and sixth respectively in what was their first nationals in the U23 grade.

Tanner, also her first season in U23 class, finished fourth in the 500m and sixth in the 200m.

Simon, at 16, had also jumped up a grade this season competing in the U18 grade where she ran seventh in her K1 final.

"To gain a spot in the age group trials each paddler must make an A final in the K1 and our five all did that. The boys did particlularly well though when they stepped up to the teams races. Max teamed with Kurtis Imrie from the Mana club to just get pipped on the line for bronze in the men's open K2. They were pipped by two guys that had trialled for Olympic spots, " Scott said.

"Max, Aiden and Toby then teamed up with Daniel McDowell from Christchurch to finish second in the men's open K4 - that was an exceptional effort. Daniel has been up here in Whanganui training for a while now and it is also his first time competing at this level."

Meanwhile, new national men's kayak coach Frederic Loyer was impressed with the potential in some of the younger paddlers at the nationals, with Bay of Plenty's Taris Harker and Whanganui's Max Brown and Toby Brooke among the younger brigade shining in the open division.

Loyer is hoping 2020 will herald a new era in the sport for Kiwi males, having arrived only last week to take up his new role after six years coaching in Canada and 15 years in his native France.

"My first job is to connect with the clubs, see the athletes in their own environments and prove my expertise and my skills as soon as possible," Loyer said.

"I would like to put the athletes out of their comfort zone and challenge them every day."

(Wanganui Chronicle 3/3/16)