After competing in the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cups 1 & 2, the New Zealand kayak team heads into World Cup 3 with heads up and renewed vigour.
Star performers in the 2010 World Cups, Lisa Carrington and Teneale Hatton, are back together in the K2 this weekend and churning out some fast training times. This combination has worked well in the past - flash back to the 2010 World Cup in Vichy where they achieved Gold - and we're looking forward to some inspirational paddling again in Duisburg, Germany.
Racing starts tomorrow with the first of the New Zealand events, the Womens K1 500m, kicking off at 7.29pm NZ time, with Hatton and fellow Auckland paddler Erin Taylor all fired up and ready to go.
So too are the two Mens K2 crews who hit the water a few minutes later in the K2 1000m races. The combo of Steven Ferguson and Darryl Fitzgerald, making a B final berth in Racice, Czech Republic, have their sights pinned firmly on the A final in Germany. Likewise the other mens K2 crew, Liam O'Loughlin and Troy Burbidge, who also made the B final, are hunting faster times, but at just half a second behind the Ferguson/Fitzgerald team, it's anyone's guess who will take the higher placing this time round.
The K1 competitors are definitely out there to prove themselves worthy of this competition. Rachael Dodwell is new to the field and an unknown quantity, but Lisa Carrington, with a few more World Cups under her belt, is confident of a better performance with her first crack at the 200m this World Cup campaign. Scott Bicknell, one of New Zealand's fastest 200m paddlers, is switching from the 1000m K4 distance on Friday, to the quick-fire 200m on Saturday, requiring quite a different approach and tactical manoeuvring. Sam Wilson and Jasper Bats have switched distances since WC2, with Sam Wilson joining Scott Bicknell on the start line in the 200m and Jasper Bats the 1000m along with Zac Franich.
The Mens K4 - Wilson/Bicknell/Bats/Franich, made up entirely of U23 athletes, will have to wait until Saturday afternoon (1.27am Sun NZ time) to have their turn at the team boats. This race is going to be another blistering paced event, but it's a challenge they're prepared for. The women's K4 get to take to the water before lunch, so they'll be eagerly watched by the boys as they prepare for their later slot.
Results will be continually updated on the Canoe Racing New Zealand website www.canoeracing.org.nz or go to the World Cup website kanuduisberg.de for full results.
