CANOE-SLALOM: After the euphoria of winning Olympic selection last month, it’s been a quick return to reality for Australia canoe slalom champion, Lucien Delfour.
The 27-year-old K1 specialist arrived in Seu, Spain, this week on the first leg of a long Olympic build-up – and quickly realised he hadn’t packed enough warm clothing.
“I’m nearly freezing to death here,” Delfour said. “I’m seriously freezing on the water. I’m definitely soft for someone who should be used to these temperatures.
“I’m not even ashamed though. In my defence, the water is about 9 or 10C!”
Delfour will need to harden up pretty quickly, with his first race, the tricky Pyrenees Cup, this weekend.
He’ll be flying the flag for Australia, alongside promising Australia female paddlers Noemie Fox and Kate Eckhardt.
Being an Olympic year, the event has attracted some of the biggest names in the sport.
“I’m hoping to produce some solid and clean runs this weekend,” Delfour said.
“It won’t be easy, because I’m still jetlagged. And the line-up is pretty impressive.
“Most paddlers have had their selections, and they have nothing to lose.”
The same applies to Delfour, who sealed his Olympic selection after an epic battle with Victoria’s Jaxon Merritt in Penrith in February.
He’s now focusing on getting the timing of his campaign right, with the Olympics still more than three months away.
“At this stage of the preparation I think it’s still more about the technical side of things, with a bit of work on the warm-up and race routine,” he said.
“However you can’t neglect the speed. Seu may be small, but it’s one of the most technical courses in the world.”
Delfour, who was born in French Polynesia, won’t be returning home before the Rio Olympics, which makes it a long time living out of a suitcase.
But he did get a bonus this week, getting to briefly visit family in France ahead of his journey to Seu.
Which was probably the time he should have picked up some extra winter woolies.
The Pyrennes Cup begins on Saturday and concludes on Sunday.
Ross Solly for Australian Canoeing
