CANOE/KAYAK: Rosalyn Lawrence is hoping a switch to the right will produce the goods at the first ICF slalom World Cup in Prague, starting Friday.
Lawrence will feature amongst a strong international field in the Czech capital, with more than 300 athletes from 45 nations set to compete at the opening world cup.
Since the selection races concluded in Australia in February, Lawrence admits she has had some great training sessions.
“I've been focusing on K1 and I've made some improvements in my style that I think will pay off in these coming World Cup races,” Lawrence said.
“I still feel comfortable in my C1 and I'm looking forward to seeing how the other girls have improved since last year.”
The 26 year old has also made some adjustments to her technique in the break.
“I normally paddle on my left side but I've been working on switching to my right to make some moves faster,” she said.
Lawrence produced some strong performances in last year’s world cup series, winning three medals.
The NSWIS paddler enters the Prague World Cup as the reigning C1 champion.
“Prague is one of my favourite places to race, the course is technical and fun and I've spent a lot of time training here in the past,” Lawrence said.
Unlike previous seasons, Lawrence will only be racing three of the five world cups this year.
“I'm looking to get the most out of each one by fine tuning my race preparation and seeing how I compare internationally in the lead in to the World Champs in September.”
With the all-important World Championships doubling as an Olympic quota race this year, Lawrence is planning on using the added time off to her advantage.
“During July I will travel back to Australia to see my family, get in another block of training and make sure I'm fresh and ready to race when I come back to Europe for the end of the season.”
Her absence from the senior team will allow exciting junior pair Noemie Fox and Kate Eckhardt to make their World Cup debuts.
“Some of the younger Aussie girls will get a chance to race this year, so I'm really excited to see how they will compete against the rest of the world.”
The first World Cup gets underway on Friday 19 June and concludes on Sunday 21 June.
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