Get ready for the sprinting action
4th August 2012
With a Gold and Silver in the bag from the Canoe Slalom, the focus now shifts 55 miles around the M25 to Eton, Dorney, for the start of the Olympic Canoe Sprint.
Six days of racing sits ahead of the ten strong team, who are eager to add to Team GB’s medal haul, as their turn approaches next week.
A successful pre Olympic training camp has set the team up well, putting the final touches to their preparations and leaving them confident in their abilities, as they head towards the Olympic start line.
Olympic Gold medallist from four years ago, Tim Brabants will be back on the start line for his fourth consecutive Olympics. Brabants will lead the team out on day one in the heats of the K1 1000m with Richard Jefferies also taking to the water in his less favoured event C1 1000m, hoping to gain valuable experience ahead of the C1 200m later in the week.
For the first time since 1992 GB will see a women’s K4 take to the water, made up of Beijing Olympian Jessica Walker, Rachel Cawthorn, Angela Hannah and Louisa Sawers.
It’s a busy week of racing for the women’s team with Rachel Cawthorn also contesting the K1 500m, Jessica Walker the K1 200m and Louisa Sawers the K2 500m with Abigail Edmonds.
By day four the traditional 1000m and 500m medals will have been claimed and the focus will move down the regatta course to the new rapid 200m racing, for the final two days of competition.
Joining Walker and Jefferies in the explosive 200m events are the dynamos, Liam Heath and Jon Schofield in the K2 200m and Ed McKeever in the K1 200m.
With nine out of the ten team members having claimed international medals over the last two years, the week guarantees to give the British fans something to shout about.
Brendan Purcell, Head Coach comments with two days to go: “We’ve had a really good pre training camp; it was great environment to put the final touches to the preparations. Everyone is getting very exciting about being a part of the Olympics, we all went down to watch the Rowing today and absorb the atmosphere. The girls were super excited to see Katherine Granger collect her Gold medal as she has done some preparation work with them. It was also very inspirational yesterday seeing the other side of our sport pick up their first Gold. Everyone now can’t wait to get out there on the water.”
Canoe Sprint 6th – 11th August 2012
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Date Session Time Events
Monday 6 August 09:30- 12:05 Heats and Semi-Finals
Men's K1,K2 and C1 1000m Women’s K4 500m
Tuesday 7 August 09:30- 11:55 Heats and Semi-Finals
Men’s K4 and C2 1000m, Women’s K1 and K2 500m
Wednesday 8 August 09:30- 11:15 Finals
Men's K1, K2 and C1 1000m, Women’s K4 500m
Thursday 9 August 09:30- 11:15 Finals
Men’s K4 and C1 1000m, Women’s K1 and K2 500m
Friday 10 August 09:30- 11:55 Heats and Semi Finals
Men’s K1, K2 and C1 200m, Women’s K1 200m
Saturday 11 August 09:30 – 11:20 Finals
Men’s K1, K2 and C1 200m, Women’s K1 200m
The Team:
Men’s K1 1000m - Tim Brabants
Men’s K1 200m - Ed McKeever
Men's K2 200m - Liam Heath & Jon Schofield
Men’s C1 1000m - Richard Jefferies
Men’s C1 200m - Richard Jefferies
Women’s K1 500m - Rachel Cawthorn
Women's K2 500m - Abigail Edmonds & Louisa Sawers
Women's K4 500m - Jess Walker, Rachel Cawthorn, Angela Hannah, Louisa Sawers
Women’s K1 200m - Jess Walker