WELLAND, ONTARIO (August 22, 2017) – The war canoe races are always a highlight of the Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships and today’s competition was no exception.
Powered by 15 paddlers, these iconic wooden boats move at remarkable speeds over distances ranging from 200m to 1000m.
In the Senior Mixed 200m race, Adam Oldershaw’s crew from the Burloak Canoe Club in Toronto grabbed gold. For the Juniors, it was Andres Carranco’s crew from Ottawa’s Rideau Canoe Club crossing the finish line first in the Mixed 200m race, followed closely by Luc Grenier’s crew from Lac Beauport, Québec and Jacob McKenna’s crew from the Senobe Aquatic Club in Nova Scotia crossing third.
Photo: Pascale Toupin
It was an historic medal for the Quebec crew, marking the first time in 16 years that the Lac Beauport Canoe Club has earned a medal in a war canoe race at the national championships.
“It has been exactly 16 years since Lac Beauport stepped on the podium at nationals,” proudly said Luc Grenier, head coach and crew captain, after distributing the 14 medals to his athletes. “For several years we have had a large group of very young athletes at the club, it is very motivating and stimulating for a whole club to win a team medal of war canoe because there is nothing that gives as much energy as to win a medal in C15, “he added.
In a thrilling finish, Jonathan Pike’s crew from the Maskwa Aquatic Club in Halifax won the U17 Mixed 200m over Brian Stever’s crew from the Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club (Dartmouth, NS), with Reid Farquharson’s crew from the Rideau Canoe Club (Ottawa, ON) a close third.
Canada is the only country in the world to race war canoes using boats that have remained virtually unchanged for decades.
The war canoe competition can often make a big difference in the overall points race, but after today’s action, it’s extremely close at the top, with the Rideau Canoe Club at 508 points, just four points ahead of the Maskwa Aquatic Club.
Photo: Pascale Toupin
Day 4 will feature more crew races at the 200m, 500m and 1000m distances as well as Paralympic singles and master races.
For the first time ever, the entire National Sprint Championships are being live streamed on the Internet. Paddling fans can also receive up-to-date race results on their mobile device through the immediaC mobile app available through the App Store.
For full competition results, visit the Canoe Kayak Canada website.
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.
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For more information:
Joannie Verret
Communications Coordinator
jverret@canoekayak.ca
(418) 271-3785