PAU, FRANCE – David Ford of Edmonton, AB has advanced to the semi-final in Men’s K1 at the fifth ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Pau, France. Ford finished thirtieth in the first heat to advance to tomorrow’s semi-final.
In the second heat of Men’s K1, both Michael Tayler of Ottawa, ON and Ben Hayward of Edmonton, AB had fast runs but each were given a penalty for a missed gate as the judge ruled their heads did not fully clear the gates. Tayler had the same bit of bad luck on his first heat and despite a run time that would have put him in twenty-second position, he got an unfortunate call for not fully clearing the gate. To add to the team’s misfortunes for the day, Cameron Smedley of Dunrobin, ON did not finish his second heat in the Men’s C1 as his spray skirt popped off and his boat filled with water.
In addition to Ford’s semi-final run tomorrow, the Women’s K1 and Men’s C2 heats will take place on Saturday. Jessica Groeneveld (Innisfail, AB), Jazmyne Denhollander (Chilliwack, BC), and Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) will represent Canada in Women’s K1. Ben Hayward and Cameron Smedley will pair up in the Men’s C2.
World Cup action concludes on Sunday. World Championships in London will wrap up the season from September 16 to 20.
Summary of Results
| Athlete | Event | Result |
| David Ford (Edmonton, AB) | Men’s K1 | 30th in heats
Advanced to semi |
| Alexandra McGee (Ottawa, ON) | Women’s C1 | 22nd in heats |
| Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) | Women’s C1 | 26th in heats |
| Liam Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) | Men’s C1 | 52nd in heats |
| Ben Hayward (Edmonton, AB) | Men’s K1 | 69th in heats |
| Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) | Men’s K1 | 68th in heats |
| Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) | Men’s C1 | DNF |
CanoeKayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. The organization’s vision is to be a Canadian sport for families, communities and champions. From supporting clubs to developing a competitive National Team, CanoeKayak Canada works to grow a sport which is a rich part of Canada’s heritage.
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For more information:
Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, CanoeKayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca