GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA, USA (May 4, 2016) – Michelle Russell (Fall River, NS) lead of the first day of Canadian Sprint National Team Trials on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, USA with a win in the first final of the Women’s K1 500m. She will line up against the same field tomorrow morning in an effort to repeat the win and secure the spot for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. A different winner tomorrow morning could trigger a head-to-head race-off tomorrow afternoon. Kathleen (KC) Fraser (Toronto, ON) was second in today’s K1 500m while Émilie Fournel (Montréal, QC) was third. Russell qualified the Olympic quota spot in the event last August at World Championships.
Four-time Olympic medalist Adam van Koeverden (Oakville, ON) won the first final of the Men’s K1 1000m. Angus Mortimer (Ottawa, ON) was second while Marshall Hugues (Waverley, NS) was third. A second final will take place tomorrow morning with a race-off, if necessary, scheduled for Friday in a best two out of three race format. The winner will go compete at Continental Qualifiers in Gainesville, Georgia in two weeks. A win there will earn the athlete a quota spot and the Olympic entry.
Men’s Canoe
The road for Olympic selections in Men’s Canoe is a long one with Canada having the potential to qualify a maximum of two athlete quota spots at the Continental Qualifier. The selection process is likely to go into World Cups to determine which events Canada will prioritize based on international performance.
Mark Oldershaw (Burlington, ON) won the Men’s C1 1000m by a margin of 5.97 seconds. The Olympic bronze medalist will have another final tomorrow night to definitively secure himself as the top Canadian before moving on to the Continental Qualifier.
In the Men’s C2 1000m, Paul Bryant (Richmond Hill, ON) and Roland Varga (Richmond Hill, ON) topped the field. Ben Russell (Dartmouth, NS) and Gabriel Beauchesne-Sévigny (Trois-Rivières, QC) pushed to the end and finished 2.85 seconds behind. All crews will line up again tomorrow for the second final in the best two out of three format to determine who will represent Canada at the Continental Qualifier.
Ben Tardioli (Ottawa, ON) won the first of two finals in the Men’s C1 200m. A second final is scheduled for tomorrow with a potential race-off at the end of the day if the winner is different.
Men’s K2
In the Men’s K2 200m, Ryan Cochrane (Windsor, NS) and Étienne Morneau (Québec, QC) won the first final. Hugues Fournel (Montréal, QC) and Marc-Alexandre Gagnon (Trois-Rivières, QC) were a close second with just 0.11 of a second separating the two crews. All crews will race a second final tomorrow, with a race-off scheduled for Friday if necessary.
Marshall Hughes (Waverley, NS) and Pierre-Luc Poulin (Lac Beauport, QC) won the first final of the Men’s K2 1000m. They will race a second final against the same field tomorrow evening with a race-off scheduled for Friday if necessary.
The top Men’s K2 crews for the 200m and 1000m will race at Continental Qualifiers. If quota spots are earned, they’ll contend for international performance at World Cups to determine which event will be prioritized for Olympic selection.
Women’s C1
Laurence Vincent-Lapointe (Trois-Rivières, QC) won the first final of the Women’s C1 200m. The ICF has proposed including the event on the Olympic program for 2020 which means athletes are now racing for Sport Canada carding for the first time ever.
Action continues through to Sunday at Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia.
Summary of Results
| Event | Result |
| Women’s K1 500m – final 1/2 | 1) Michelle Russell (Fall River, NS)
2) Kathleen (KC) Fraser (Toronto, ON) 3) Émilie Fournel (Montréal, QC) |
| Men’s K1 1000m – final 1/2 | 1) Adam van Koeverden (Oakville, ON)
2) Angus Mortimer (Ottawa, ON) 3) Marshall Hughes (Waverley, NS) |
| Men’s C1 1000m – final 1/2 | 1) Mark Oldershaw (Burlington, ON)
2) Peter Korisanszky (Waverley, NS) 3) Marc Tarling (Pointe-Claire, QC) |
| Men’s C2 1000m – final 1/2 | 1) Paul Bryant (Richmond Hill, ON), Roland Varga (Richmond Hill, ON)
2) Ben Russell (Dartmouth, NS), Gabriel Beauchesne-Sévigny (Trois-Rivières, QC) 3) Craig Spence (Dartmouth, NS), Drew Hodges (Ottawa, ON) |
| Men’s C1 200m – final 1/2 | 1) Ben Tardioli (Ottawa, ON)
2) Pierre-Luc Laliberté (Otterburn Park, QC) 3) Maxim Poulin (Lac Beauport, QC) |
| Men’s K2 1000m – final 1/2 | 1) Marshall Hughes (Waverley, NS), Pierre-Luc Poulin (Lac Beauport, QC)
2) Chris Mehak (Toronto, ON), Brady Reardon (Burlington, ON) 3) Andrew Jessop (Halifax, NS), Rob Clarke (Toronto, ON) |
| Men’s K2 200m – final 1/2 | 1) Ryan Cochrane (Windsor, NS), Étienne Morneau (Québec, QC)
2) Hugues Fournel (Montréal, QC), Marc-Alexandre Gagnon (Trois-Rivières, QC) 3) Étienne Beauchesne (Trois-Rivières, QC), Charles-Antoine Girouard (Trois-Rivières, QC) |
| Women’s C1 200m – final 1/2 | 1) Laurence Vincent-Lapointe (Trois-Rivières, QC)
2) Katie Vincent (Mississauga, ON) 3) Hannah MacIntosh (Dartmouth, NS) |
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About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. Canoe Kayak Canada has been one of Canada’s top performing summer sports having won an impressive count of 24 Olympic medals. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization which includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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For more information:
Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, Canoe Kayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca