AUGSBURG, GERMANY (June 23, 2017) – Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) has advanced directly to the men’s single canoe (C1M) semi-final at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Augsburg, Germany.
Smedley’s first run was penalty free and put him in 19th place overall, earning a berth in Sunday’s semi-final. The top 10 paddlers in the semi-final will advance to Sunday’s final. Slovenia’s Benjamin Savsek set the pace in the heats with a run time of 99.70 seconds, finishing ahead of three German competitors. Savsek was the only C1 competitor to break the 100-second threshold.
Canadians, Spencer Pomeroy (Ottawa, ON) and Liam Smedley (Ottawa, ON), placed 44th and 46th respectively.
“My objective today was to qualify on my first run and I was pleased that I stayed off the poles and posted a competitive run time,” said Smedley after the race. “I was a little rocky at the top of the course after hitting the side wall in the first upstream gate, but was able to refocus and get back on my race plan. I think there’s still some time to make up and I’m excited to be racing the semi-final course on Sunday.”
Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) and Jessica Groeneveld (Innisfail, AB) finished 47th an 61st respectively in the women’s kayak event. Malorie Franklin of Great Britain displayed superior form and speed, winning the qualification round with a time of 103.19 seconds.
Keenan Simpson (Ottawa, ON) was disqualified in the men’s kayak event because his boat was found to be 20 grams underweight after his second race run. Jiri Prskavec (CZE) set the standard by winning the qualification round with a time of 93.28 seconds.
“I’m not quite ready to be competitive with the senior athletes, but this run gives me confidence that I’ll be ready to compete with the top juniors in Bratislava at the Junior World Championships next month,” said the 18-year-old Canadian kayaker. “I was surprised my boat was underweight because it passed the weight test yesterday. It’s a good lesson learned and, next time, I’ll know to err on the side of caution.”
Calgary’s Haley Daniels placed 36th in the women’s canoe event and did not qualify for the semi-finals. Kimberley Woods of Great Britain was the top finisher. Competition is heating up fast as the top female paddlers set their sights on Tokyo 2020 and the first Olympic canoe competition for women.
Saturday’s and Sunday’s finals will be webcast on CBC’s digital platforms including the CBC Sports app and cbcsports.ca. CBC Sports is the Official Broadcast Partner of Canoe Kayak Canada.
CBC webcast times:
- Saturday at 1:30 p.m. EST
- Sunday at 1:30 p.m. EST
Summary of Results
| Athlete | Event | Result |
| Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) | Men’s C1 Slalom | 19th in heats
Advanced to semi-final |
| Spencer Pomeroy (Ottawa, ON) | Men’s C1 Slalom | 44th in heats
Did not advance |
| Liam Smedley (Ottawa, ON) | Men’s C1 Slalom | 46th in heats
Did not advance |
| Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) | Women’s C1 Slalom | 36th in heats
Did not advance |
| Keenan Simpson (Ottawa, ON) | Men’s K1 Slalom | DSQ-R
Did not advance |
| Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) | Women’s K1 Slalom | 47th in heats
Did not advance |
| Jessica Groeneveld (Innisfail, AB) | Women’s K1 Slalom | 61st in heats
Did not advance |
About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that 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.
-30-
For more information:
James Cartwright
High Performance Manager
613.715 0727
jcartwright@canoekayak.ca