OTTAWA, ONTARIO (September 13, 2017) – Four Canadian athletes have made a name for themselves on the international stage at the 2017 Canoe Marathon World Championships. The annual regatta organized by the International Canoe Federation was held from September 7 to 10 in Pietermaritzburg, near the city of Durban in South Africa.
“The whole experience was unreal, it’s completely different than sprint canoe,” said Madeline Mitchell (Winnipeg, Manitoba), on her return home. “Although the marathon race can be two hours long, the result can be determined in the first few meters of the race, anything can happen,” explained the one who completed the 19km individual women’s canoe race.
Mitchell achieved an extremely satisfying result by finishing in 4th position, less than fifteen minutes behind the Ukrainian, Liudmyla Babak, who completed the race in 1 hour 47 minutes. “There were some really strong paddlers out there, 4th is a tough spot to finish after such a grueling race, but I’m extremely happy that I made the commitment to the race and to representing Canada. Each time I came through the portage, the announcers would talk about how Canada has had an impact on the inclusion of the women’s canoe on the international stage and that I was the first to represent Canada in women’s canoe at a Marathon World Championship, it was very encouraging,” she explained.
Madeline Mitchell (Winniped, Manitoba) finishing 4th in the Women’s Canoe event. / Photo: ICF
In the women’s kayak, Samantha Sula (Balmy Beach, Ont.) Finished 14th in the 19km Junior Women’s K1. On the men’s side, Alec Myles (Trois-Rivières, Quebec) took part in the 19km of the Junior Men’s K1, but unfortunately did not finish the race, as well as for Frank Desrosiers (Ottawa, Ontario) who raced the 30km Men’s K1.
“My race was cut short as I tipped at the first turn, but my overall experience was amazing. The feeling of wearing the maple leaf and representing my country on the world stage is something I will remember for the rest of my life,” explained Alec Myles, who was participating in his first international competition.
Find all the results, photos and videos of the competition on the event’s website.
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.
-30-
For more information :
Joannie Verret
Communications Coordinator
jverret@canoekayak.ca
(418) 271-3785