The waiting is over for Team GB’s Canoe Sprint Team
5th August 2012
With less than 12hours to the start of the Olympic Canoe Sprint competition; here is a reminder of what to watch on day one.
First in the buckets for GB is Canoeing’s hero from Beijing, Tim Brabants in the K1 1000m heats at 9.30am. The Olympic Champion will meet the World Champion Adam Van Koeverden, with five boats through the semi-final the biggest test will come an hour and half later.
Brabants came back following time out after Beijing to win the World Championships silver medal in 2010, but was soon struck by injury resulting in surgery. He has come through a tough selection process and is proud to be in London on his fourth Olympic start line tomorrow.
Tim Brabants comments ahead of the start of competition: “It has been an uphill struggle to get here since my shoulder injury in 2010, with 2011 and the early part of this year being pretty much a write off. I am now just getting better and better and back to be where I want to be at this stage and I am as ready as I can be.
“It is going to be really tricky to win again, I haven’t written myself off, I am back on form now and I have got the experience from previous Games, so I know I can handle the pressure side of it.
“When I sit on the start line I know I have given it everything I can, but there are a lot of talented athletes in our sport so it is going to be tough and with different winners at all the major races this season it shows the quality of the field.”
Next out for GB is Richard Jefferies in the C1 1000m making his Olympic debut. As a C1 200m specialist he will be using the 1000m as an opportunity to experience the feeling of an Olympic start line and the atmosphere ahead of the 200m racing later in the week. The man the field will be in chase of is the reigning Olympic and World Champion Attila Vajda from Hungary.
It’s then the turn of the Jessica Walker, Rachel Cawthorn, Angela Hannah and Louisa Sawers in the K4 500m, an event that hasn’t seen a British boat since 1992. The foursome who made their debut together at the European Championships finishing just outside the medals in 4th place will be looking to make a bang from the outset. In their heat they will be up against the Hungarians, 2011 World Champions and Olympic silver medallist at the past three games. With the first boat qualifying straight through to the final, the British will be looking to make it theirs and escape a semi-final race.
The wait is finally over, be sure to tune in and watch another week of fantastic canoeing action unfold. For all results and racing action follow us on twitter.com/GBcanoeing and like www.facebook.com/gbcanoeing
Canoe Sprint 6th – 11th August 2012
•
Date Session Time Events
Monday 6 August0 9:30- 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