GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA – Émilie Fournel of Lachine, QC and Michelle Russell of Waverley, NS topped the Women’s K1 events on the third and final day of competition at the Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Team Trials on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. The trials are being used to select Canada’s team for the World Cup Tour in May.
Émilie Fournel won the Women’s K1 500. Michelle Russell of Waverley, NS was second and Toronto’s KC Fraser was third.
Émile Fournel & Michelle Russell (photo: Bernard Irvin)
“The first race of the season is always a little bit more nerve-racking,” said Fournel after her race. “They’re my teammates and I know how hard it is to beat them. I was ready for a tough race and it was a tough race. I went out really fast as always and held on so I was pretty happy.”
In the Women’s K1 200 later in the day, Michelle Russell rose to the top with Émilie Fournel finishing second and Hannah Vaughan of Dartmouth, NS finishing third.
“I felt like anything could happen and I just put everything I had into it and made sure nobody moved up on me too much. I just wanted to have the best race I could.”
In a second final for the Men’s C1 200 metre, Ottawa’s Ben Tardioli edged out yesterday’s winner, Jason McCoombs of Dartmouth, NS by 0.025 of a second. Aaron Rublee of Kamloops, BC was third.
Jason McCoombs & Ben Tardioli (photo: Bernard Irvin)
A different winner each day in the event set the scene for a race-off between McCoombs and Tardioli to determine who would have the first point toward qualifying in the event for World Championships.
“My best result before this was third so I’m very happy,” said Tardioli of his surge in the rankings. “My plan was just to go hard and win the start. The pressure was high and one-on-one is tough.”
Men’s K1 500 closed out the day with Brady Reardon of Burlington, ON taking the win. Angus Mortimer of Ottawa battled hard to the line to finish a close second and Halifax’s Andrew Jessop was third.
Fourteen athletes were confirmed for the World Cup Tour yesterday and CanoeKayak Canada will announce its final team on Monday.
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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Media Contact:
Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, CanoeKayak Canada
613.314.1352