TOKYO, JAPAN (October 28, 2019) – Canadian slalom paddlers put the 2020 Olympic venue to the test at the Ready, Steady, Tokyo Olympic Test Event from October 25 – 27.

Five Canadian slalom athletes competed against the best paddlers in world at the newly constructed, manmade course designed for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) wrapped up his competitive season with an impressive 5th place in the men’s C1 event. Smedley finished 9th at the Slalom World Championships, qualifying the first Canadian slalom boat for Tokyo 2020.

Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) and Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) finished 9th and 10threspectively in the C1 events this weekend in Japan.

“It is a magnificent course with Mount Fuji views at the top of the conveyer belt and challenging whitewater that will make for an exciting Olympic Games,” said Daniels. “Being in Tokyo invigorates a fire within me to be a part of this legacy for women’s canoeing.”

Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) and Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) wrapped up their international kayak season finishing 13th and 15th in the K1 event.

“I’m thrilled to see our athletes wrap up the season with strong performances in Tokyo! It looks like a challenging course so it’s important to maximize time in Tokyo mastering all the intricacies of this venue,” said James Cartwright, CKC’s Senior High Performance Manager. “The team will stay in Tokyo for another week to take advantage of more training time at this facility. They will be back in Tokyo at the end of November when all the best paddlers from around the world will reconvene for the 2nd official training period in Tokyo.”

For full results click here.

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