OTTAWA, ON (July 31, 2016) – After receiving two additional quota spots for the Men’s K2 200m on Friday, Canoe Kayak Canada has selected Ryan Cochrane and Hugues Fournel for nomination to the Canadian Olympic Team.

The additional quota spots were allocated to Canada by the International Canoe Federation after a Russian crew was suspended due to a doping infraction. Under exceptional circumstances the ICF accelerated the timeline for Canada to make a decision on crew selection to July 31.

Cochrane and Fournel were selected based on the recommendation of the National Team discipline coach. Cochrane and Fournel finished ninth at World Championships last year. That result lead to Canada earning the quota spots after the Russian doping disqualification and Sweden declining the entry. Cochrane and Fournel also competed at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the K2 200m and finished seventh.

The additional crew brings Canoe Kayak Canada’s team total to eleven for the Olympic Games including nine sprint athletes and two canoe slalom athletes.

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