Australian Canoeing’s National Performance director Richard Fox said despite the lack of a gold medal at the Championships, he was confident about the path the national team was taking.
Australian Canoeing’s National Performance director Richard Fox said despite the lack of a gold medal at the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Szeged, Hungary he was confident about the path the national team was taking.
“A year out from the London Games, we are in a good position, with a number of athletes coming back into contention for London,” he said.
Sydney’s Jo Brigden-Jones and Adelaide’s Hannah Davis claimed bronze on the final day of competition with a fighting performance in the Women’s K2 200m sprint.
The Aussie pair were beaten by locals Katalin Kovács and Danuta Kozák of Hungary in a time of 37.667, with Poland’s Karolina Naja and Magdalena Krukowska second in 38.165, and the Australians in 38.369.
Perth’s Alana Nicholls finished equal 4th in the Women’s K1 200m in a time of 40.730, losing out on a medal to New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington in 39.998, with Polish Marta Walczykiewicz 2nd, and Inna Osypenko-radomska of Ukraine 3rd. Earlier in the meet Nicholls placed fifth in the K1 500m.
On Saturday the men's K4 1000m crew snared an admirable silver. The kayaking quartet of Jake Clear, Tate Smith, Murray Stewart and David Smith led most of the tense race to be poised for a major upset until being overhauled by Germany in the last 250m.
The powerful Germans won in 2 minutes 47.73 seconds with Australia following them home in 2:48.72 and holding off Russia. The silver in Szeged is a significant improvement from their fifth place at last year's world championships, and betters the previous best Australian men's K4 performance of bronze in 1997.
For Tate and David Smith, it was also a cherished medal after being members of the K4 crew which bombed out disastrously at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Impressive Manly paddler Murray Stewart praised the performance, which qualifies the Australian boat for next year's London Games.
"It was such a tough race, but the boys did such a good job and Tatey set us up really well, so it was almost the perfect race," Stewart said.
"But next time we'll just have to go one better."
The medals added to the bronze Gold Coast-based Manly paddler Naomi Flood won in the women's K1 1000m. Flood also placed 9th in the Women’s K1 5km.
But reigning Olympic champion Ken Wallace's illness-plagued international season suffered a new low by missing a place in the final of the K1 1000m after finishing third in his semi-final. Wallace then placed 6th in the Men's K1 5km final.
Jim Morton AAP and Canoe Australia
