Success on the water is becoming a way of life for New Zealand athletes and the national canoe sprint team will be aiming to continue that tradition of success when it heads off to the Sprint World Championships in Nova Scotia, Canada, next week.
A six strong team headed by Olympians Steven Ferguson and Erin Taylor will be aiming to make finals and spring a few surprises in the first major championship after the Beijing Olympics.
This year's campaign will be first under a new High Performance programme headed by Wayne Maher. The team raced with some success - winning two medals - at the third World Cup event in Szeged in Hungary in early June.
Ferguson (K1) and Taylor (K1) will be joined by Troy Burbidge and Scott Bicknell (K2) and Teneale Hatton and Lisa Carrington (K2). All will race over the 500 metre and 1000 metre events. The priority for the women will be the 500 metre race - the Olympic class event.
Lead coach is five time Olympic medallist Ian Ferguson and he is assisted by ex New Zealand squad paddler Gavin Elmiger. Maher will travel to oversee the team and act as manager.
Results can be followed at www.canoe09.ca and the regatta begins August 12th and runs through to the 16th.
