MONTRÉAL, QC (June 27, 2016) – Canoe Kayak Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee, has named the eleven athletes to represent Canada in paddling events in Rio.
There are two Olympic disciplines and one Paralympic discipline in paddling. Olympic sprint and paracanoe events feature head-to-head racing in a true test of speed and endurance. In canoe slalom, athletes plummet down a whitewater course and battle enormous currents while navigating through a series of gates in an effort to clock the fastest time.
The sprint team selections include the return of three medalists from the London 2012 Olympic Games, notably four-time Olympic medalist Adam van Koeverden, two-time World Champion Mark de Jonge and Olympic bronze medalist Mark Oldershaw. The Women’s Kayak Team is led by veteran Émilie Fournel. She will be joined by her training partner Andréanne Langlois and the K2 duo of Genevieve Orton and KC Fraser who earned their spots on the team on Friday after winning a race-off in Montreal.
In canoe slalom, Michael Tayler is set to compete at his second Olympic Games in Men’s K1. Cameron Smedley, who has made one top-ten World Cup final this year, will compete in Men’s C1.
Five-time paracanoe World Champion Christine Gauthier will represent Canada in the Women’s KL2 200 metre and Erica Scarff will compete in the Women’s KL3 200 as paracanoe makes its debut at the Paralympic Games.
The canoe slalom competition will take place at the Whitewater Stadium, August 7 to 11. Sprint events will take place at Lagoa Stadium from August 15 to 20. Paracanoe events also take place at Lagoa Stadium from September 14 to 15.
Quotes
“We’ve been training to the extreme and fine-tuning every detail to be at the top of our game. Our team is set and with Canada behind us, we’re getting ready to explode out of those starting gates.”
Mark de Jonge, Canadian Olympic Team athlete
“Canada has a rich history of success in canoe kayak and I know these athletes will proudly uphold the tradition. We have such a strong team of young hopefuls and experienced veterans and we are all excited to cheer them on in Rio.”
Peter Giles, Canoe Kayak Canada President
“Congratulations to Christine and Erica. It’s very exciting to have paracanoe in the Paralympic Games family for the first time, so this will be an historic moment for our two paddlers.”
Chantal Petitclerc, Canadian Paralympic Team Chef de Mission
Olympic Athletes
| First | Last | Hometown | Event |
| Mark | de Jonge | Halifax, NS | Men’s K1 200m (sprint) |
| Émilie | Fournel | Montréal, QC | Women’s K1 500m (sprint) |
| Adam | van Koeverden | Oakville, ON | Men’s K1 1000m (sprint) |
| Mark | Oldershaw | Burlington, ON | Men’s C1 1000m (sprint) |
| Andréanne | Langlois | Québec, QC | Women’s K1 200m (sprint) |
| Genevieve | Orton | Lake Echo, NS | Women’s K2 500m (sprint) |
| Kathleen (KC) | Fraser | Toronto, ON | Women’s K2 500m (sprint) |
| *Ryan | Cochrane | Windsor, NS | Men’s K2 200m (sprint) |
| *Hugues | Fournel | Montréal, QC | Men’s K2 200m (sprint) |
| Cameron | Smedley | Dunrobin, ON | Men’s C1 (canoe slalom) |
| Michael | Tayler | Ottawa, ON | Men’s K1 (canoe slalom) |
*Added to the team July 31. See news article.
Paralympic Athletes
| First | Last | Hometown | Event |
| Christine | Gauthier | Pointe-Claire | Women’s KL2 200m (paracanoe) |
| Erica | Scarff | Toronto, ON | Women’s KL3 200m (paracanoe) |
Coaches
| Position | First | Last | Hometown |
| Sprint Coach | Frédéric | Jobin | Lac Beauport, QC |
| Sprint Coach | Scott | Oldershaw | Toronto, ON |
| Sprint Coach | Peter | Martinek | Toronto, ON |
| Canoe Slalom Coach | Michal | Staniszewski | Gatineau, QC |
| Paracanoe Coach | Marc | Creamer | Pointe-Claire, QC |
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