FOZ DO IGUASSU, BRAZIL – Michael Tayler of Ottawa led the pack of Canadian athletes on the opening day of competition at the 2015 ICF Canoe Slalom Junior and U23 World Championships in Foz do Iguassu, Brazil.
Tayler, a 2012 Olympian in his last year of U23 eligibility, finished the U23 Men’s K1 preliminary runs in fourth place to prove his medal potential at the Championships. Tayler will race the semi-finals on Friday morning in an attempt to qualify for Saturday’s top-ten final.
Liam Smedley of Dunrobin, ON and Ryley Penner of Lundbreck, AB have also qualified for the U23 semi-finals on Friday. Smedley finished 25th in the preliminary runs of U23 Men’s C1 while Penner was 39th in U23 Men’s K1.
One junior athlete got through to the semi-finals. Ottawa’s Ben Risk qualified with a 29th place finish in the Junior Men’s C1 heats. Women’s K1 and Men’s C2 will race preliminary runs tomorrow.
Summary of Results
| Athlete | Event | Result |
| Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) | U23 Men’s K1 | 4th in heats Advanced to semi-final |
| Liam Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) | U23 Men’s C1 | 25th in heats Advanced to semi-final |
| Ben Risk (Ottawa, ON) | Junior Men’s C1 | 29th in heats Advanced to semi-final |
| Ryley Penner (Lundbreck, AB) | U23 Men’s K1 | 39th in heats Advanced to semi-final |
| Kylie Zirk (Saskatoon, SK) | Junior Women’s C1 | 20th in heats |
| Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) | Junior Women’s C1 | 24th in heats |
| Maxime Leboeuf (Salaberry de Valleyfield, QC) | Junior Men’s K1 | 36th in heats |
| Pelly Vincent-Braun (Whitehorse, YK) | Junior Men’s C1 | 37th in heats |
| Andrew Musgrave (Ottawa, ON) | Junior Men’s K1 | 47th in heats |
| Adrian Cole (Calgary, AB) | U23 Men’s K1 | 49th in heats |
| Darius Ramrattan (Innisfail, AB) | Junior Men’s K1 | 61st in heats |
| Willa Mason (Chelsea, QC) | Junior Women’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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Media Contact
Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, CanoeKayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca