Mark de Jonge grabs a silver in K1 200m
OTTAWA – Mark de Jonge of Halifax, NS has won yet another medal on the international CanoeKayak scene. Fresh off winning the Men’s K1 200m at World Championship for a second straight year, de Jonge scooped up a silver medal at the Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro that took place from September 4 to 6.
The test event was largely a familiarization opportunity for athletes with strong potential to compete in Rio next year to be exposed to the race course, local accommodations, culture and travel demands to better prepare them for 2016. This was CanoeKayak Canada’s second visit to Rio with athletes, the first was a familiarization trip last November with Adam van Koeverden, Mark Oldershaw, Benjamin Russell, Gabriel Beauchesne-Sévigny and Andrew Jessop.
de Jonge paired with Hugues Fournel of Montréal, QC to land a fourth place finish in the Men’s K2 200m. Canadians also finished seventh in three events – Michelle Russell (Fall River, NS) in the Women’s K1 200m, Émilie Fournel (Montréal, QC) in the Women’s K1 500m and Ben Tardioli (Ottawa, ON) in the Men’s C1 200m. In light of recent concerns with the water quality of the competition venue in Rio, the ICF deemed the venue safe for the competition and will continue to monitor the lake in the lead up to the Olympics.
In Paracanoe action, Christine Gauthier of Pointe-Claire, QC captured a silver medal in the Women’s KL2 200m. Erica Scarff of Toronto, ON finished fifth in the Women’s KL3 200m. The ICF tested a new competition format ahead of the inaugural CanoeKayak competition at next year’s Paralympics; the heats will be seeded head-to-head races where the winner will advance directly to the final and the looser will race in an 8-boat semi-final for an opportunity to advance to the final.
The test event program was supported by the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. The invitational competition was managed by the International Canoe Federation and the Rio 2016 Host Organizing Committee.
Summary of Results
| Athlete | Event | Result |
| Mark de Jonge (Halifax, NS) | Men’s K1 200m | 2nd in final
Silver medals |
| Christine Gauthier (Pointe-Claire, QC) | Women’s KL2 200m | 2nd in final
Silver medal |
| Erica Scarff (Toronto, ON) | Women’s KL3 200m | 5th in final |
| Mark de Jonge (Halifax, NS),
Hugues Fournel (Montréal, QC) |
Men’s K2 200m | 4th in final |
| Michelle Russell (Fall River, NS) | Women’s K1 200m | 7th in final |
| Ben Tardioli (Ottawa, ON) | Men’s C1 200m | 7th in final |
| Émilie Fournel (Montréal, QC) | Women’s K1 500m | 7th in final |
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