Press Release – Canoe Racing NZ

This weekend will see kayak sprint paddlers from around New Zealand converge on Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) in Rotorua for the highlight of the paddling season the NZ Canoe Sprint Championships. This year the New Zealand event also hosts the International …
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11 February 2013

Canoe Racing New Zealand Inc

Notice Of Event

ICF Oceania & Nz Canoe Sprint Championships
LAKE TIKITAPU, ROTORUA, 15-17 FEBRUARY 2013

Featuring Lisa Carrington, Olympic gold medallist

This weekend will see kayak sprint paddlers from around New Zealand converge on Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) in Rotorua for the highlight of the paddling season – the NZ Canoe Sprint Championships. This year the New Zealand event also hosts the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Oceania Canoe Sprint Champs and sees paddlers from 6 other countries competing including Australia, Tahiti, Palau, Samoa, Cook Islands and Finland.

New Zealand’s golden girl Lisa Carrington who won gold in the K1 200m canoe sprint event at the 2012 London Olympics, will be racing her favoured event on Sunday at 11.40am and 1.00pm as well as other races throughout the weekend. Fellow Olympians Darryl Fitzgerald, Teneale Hatton and Ben Fouhy will also be racing both K1 events and team events, with some different K2 combinations.

Some of our young up-and-comers will be fired up after the recent Australian Youth Olympic Festival where medals were won by six of our team. Aimee Fisher and Lucy Johnston both earned two silvers, and Lucy also a gold and will be racing in the U18, U23 and Open events; and Zac Quickenden and Jarrod Fitzgerald who gained silver in the K2 1000m will be chasing up their medals with some Kiwi silverware of their own.

Kiwi battler Scott Martlew who lost his leg as a teen to necrotizing fascitus after a rugby injury, is also racing in the U23 and Open events. Scott placed fifth in the Paracanoe World Champs and has his sights set on the Rio Olympics in 2016. With no para competition here currently he is racing in the able-bodied age groups despite having the added challenge of balancing in a non-modified K1 and having only one leg.

The field is very full with competitors of all ages geared up for some exciting racing. With 189 races in just two and a half days the programme is pretty packed and starts 12.00pm on Friday, 8.00am Saturday and Sunday.

Full race draws, programme and all race information can be viewed on our website under Oceania/NZ Canoe Sprint Champs. http://canoeracing.org.nz/home-1/events

ENDS

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