CANOE/KAYAK: The 2015/16 canoe sprint domestic season commences on Friday with Adelaide set to stage Grand Prix 1 (GP1) from the 4 to 6 December.

Australia’s senior men produced some outstanding performances in 2015, capped off by securing seven Olympic quotas at the World Championships in August.

Entering a new summer of racing this week, the senior men have been working tirelessly since the conclusion of Worlds with Head Coach Jimmy Owens of the belief that the squad is a month ahead of where they were at this time last year.

“Everyone started at the same time this year,” Owens said.

“Normally in previous years people have gone off and done a little surf or ocean paddling as cross-training to try and stimulate themselves mentally, but this year they have come back straight away.”

“We have been able to fully train now through gym and on water sessions so we are probably about a month ahead of where we would normally be at this time of year.”

The key focus for the team in the lead up to GP1 has been on getting “fitter, faster and stronger” and all of the senior men are set to take part at the opening domestic race of the season.

“It is not a selection event but it is part my role as Head Coach to see everyone race to get a gauge of how their off-season training is progressing and how they are shaping up in regards to the competition and training,” Owens said.

Owens believes it is an opportunity for the men to race given that there is not a lot of competition domestically.

“It is a good opportunity to race and remind ourselves of how to prepare for competition so once selection comes around we are a little more battle hardened to race selection in that frame of mind.”

GP1 will commence on Friday from 8:45am local time.

Australian Canoeing