NZ kayakers gain final seats at Olympics

4 March 2012

Final at the Oceania Champs

NZ qualify Mens K2 1000m for the London Olympics

The team couldn’t have been more elated than during today’s Mens K2 1000m race – the final event available to qualify boats for the Olympics.

In the Olympic qualification race, the New Zealand crew of Darryl Fitzgerald and Steven Ferguson controlled the race from the start, earning a convincing win by at least five boats lengths.

This tops off the New Zealand qualification campaign with all of the hoped-for 7 seats qualifying successfully. New Zealand now has to select the names for the seats to be nominated to the NZOC.

Unfortunately the weed continued to plague the championship - so much so that the coaches, managers and athletes took to the water in kayaks to help clean up the lake.

In the Oceania champs the women were first up in the K2 500. New Zealand qualified all three boats into the final with a very close race at the front. The first three places were separated by less than a second. The combination of Lisa Carrington and Erin Taylor won this close race showing their form after some hard racing during the weekend. Unfortunately Marianne Archer and Teneale Hatton finished 4th having snagged a large pile of weed on the way down the course. Rachel Dodwell and Jamiee Lovett finished 7th.

The Mens K2 1000 final (Steven Ferguson and Darryl Fitzgerald already having gained the Olympic seats in previous race) was a high pressure race within a race as Steven Ferguson / Darryl Fitzgerald, Fred Teear / Ben Fouhy and Liam O’Loughlin / Troy Burbidge all battled for top honours. The race was won by a small margin by Australia with the Teear/Fouhy combination being 2nd overall and first Kiwi followed closely by O’Loughlin/Burbidge in 3rd and unfortunately the Fitzgerald/Ferguson combination were snagged by weed midway down the course and finished 6th.

Overall the team is exceptionally happy with the results and the Olympic seats now secured.

The junior and U23 squads attending the Oceania Champs had a fantastic run – this talented bunch of young athletes really showing what they’ve got.

Young Aimee Fisher from Hawkes Bay dominated the U18 age group winning K1 500m, with team mate Danielle Currie in 2nd. Aimee also took the U18 WK1 200m in a time of 45.60 ahead of 2nd placed Jessica Fox, Australia, by a second. She then went on to paddle with team mates Danielle Currie, Kim Thompson and Rebecca Cole to win her second gold in the U18 WK4 500m. This K4 was strong all the way down the course, showing the class of a much older crew.

Perhaps the most startling success came from Para-canoe athlete Scott Martlew who convincingly won all his races, 200m, 500m and 1000m, with surprising margins - the 1000m of more than 40 seconds! Zac Quickenden added to the day’s success with a 3rd in the U23 K1 1000m.

On the final day four more medals were added to the haul. Henry Ellingham & Jarrod Fitzgerald 1st in U18 MK2 200m, 2nd in K2 1000m and 2nd in K4 1000m with Zac Quickenden & an invitation Australian paddler. Danielle Currie & Kim Thompson 1st in U18 K2 500, and Jasper Bats & Alex Fort 3rd in U23 K2 1000m.

A great day at the office for our juniors totalling 8 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze Oceania medals.

ENDS

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