PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (June 16, 2017) – Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) opened the first ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Prague by qualifying for Sunday’s semi-finals. Smedley placed 28th overall in the preliminary heat of the Men’s C1. Heavy winds and cooler temperatures in the afternoon presented challenging racing conditions in a sport where precision and speed are critical. A top-ten result in the semi-final Sunday morning will put him through to the afternoon final. Spencer Pomeroy (Ottawa, ON) and Yannick Laviolette (St-Louis-de-Gonzague, QC) placed 43rd and 58th respectively.
Jessica Groeneveld (Innisfail, AB) produced Canada’s top women’s kayak result, placing 43rd overall in Friday’s preliminary heats. Salaberry-de-Valleyfield’s Florence Maheu, racing in her first season as a member of the Senior National Team, was close behind in 44th position. Maheu produced a quick run but incurred two touches to knock her out of contention for the semi-final. Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) finished 65th overall.
“This was a strong field, and I know that I have the speed to make it to the semi-final, but I need to deliver a clean run,” said Maheu. “I’m happy with my run time, but frustrated that I touched gate 21. Afterwards I lost my focus on the last gate sequence near the finish line.”
Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) placed 36th and Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) finished 42nd in the heats for Women’s C1, which was recently added to the program for the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo. A top-thirty result was needed to advance to the semi-finals.
Andrew Musgrave (Ottawa, ON) and Keenan Simpson (Ottawa, ON) placed 72nd and 69th respectively using this first international event to build experience in preparation for the U23 and Junior World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia later this summer.
“The race today was okay. I executed my race plan on my first run and my strategy on my second run was to race more aggressively to gain some time. Unfortunately, I picked up three touches which resulted in a slower run” said Musgrave. “Overall, it was a good learning experience giving me something to build on and aim to deliver a strong performance in Bratislava at the U23 World Championships.”
This weekend’s races will be webcast on CBC’s digital platforms. CBC Sports is the Official Broadcast Partner of Canoe Kayak Canada.
CBC webcast times – watch online at cbcsports.ca or via the CBC Sports app.
- Saturday at 1:30 p.m. EST
- Sunday at 1:30 p.m. EST
Summary of Results
| Athlete | Event | Result |
| Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) | Men’s C1 | 28th in heat Advanced to semifinal |
| Spencer Pomeroy (Ottawa, ON) | Men’s C1 | 43rd in heat Did not advance |
| Yannick Laviolette (St-Louis-de-Gonzague, QC) | Men’s C1 | 58th in heat Did not advance |
| Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) | Women’s C1 | 36th in heat Did not advance |
| Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) | Women’s C1 | 42nd in heat Did not advance |
| Keenan Simpson (Ottawa, ON) | Men’s K1 | 69th in heat Did not advance |
| Andrew Musgrave (Ottawa, ON) | Men’s K1 | 72nd in heat Did not advance |
| Jessica Groeneveld (Innisfail, AB) | Women’s K1 | 43rd in heat Did not advance |
| Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield) | Women’s K1 | 44th in heat Did not advance |
| Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) | Women’s K1 | 65th in heat Did not advance |
About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that 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.