AUSTRALIAN TEAM PRIMED FOR THIRD CANOE SLALOM WORLD CUP – Paddle Australia

by Admin
June 13, 2024

The Australian Canoe Slalom team are primed for the third ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup of the season in Krakow, Poland this weekend.

The third World Cup will double as the last international race for Australia’s Canoe Slalom athletes before the Paris Olympic Games.

Paris bound athletes Jessica Fox and Tim Anderson will both compete, as well as Noemie Fox who earned an Olympic quota position for Australia at the Kayak Cross Global Qualification in Prague last weekend.

Members of the Australian team for the 2024 ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships will race at the World Cup this weekend, providing a valuable opportunity to gain race experiences before the World Championships in Slovakia in three weeks time.

Among the Junior and U23 athletes in the World Cup team for this weekend 2022 Junior World champion Mark Crosbee, Georgie O’Callaghan and World Cup debutant Dominic Curtin.

Curtin said he’s excited to make his debut this weekend, after finding out the news only a short time ago.

“It’s very exciting – I found out only a few days ago and it was a rush to get here but I’m grateful to be here and cannot wait to start the race,” he said.

Racing in the K1 this weekend, Curtin said he’s relishing the opportunity to train alongside the Olympic team.

“I’ve learnt a lot, and every session I’ve been feeding off them, learning from how they’re paddling and gaining knowledge the whole time. It’s been very exciting to train with them,” he said.

Having raced at the Krakow course last year at the Junior and U23 World Championships, O’Callaghan said she’s looking forward to a familiar feeling this weekend.

“I’m feeling excited and very keen to be back on the whitewater. I’m excited to be starting off the international season here in Krakow and I’m ready to go,” O’Callaghan said.

“I’m very much looking forward to paddling Krakow – I came here last year for the U23 World Championships, so I’m keen to be back, clean up some of the mistakes I made last year, learn from what I paddled in the last competition and do my best this weekend,” she said.

With three weeks to go until the Junior and U23 World Championships, Crosbee said the World Cup this weekend is the perfect preparation.

“It’s probably the best preparation I could have, it’s the little secret source of energy you get from getting on the start line that a normal training doesn’t quite give you,” Crosbee said.

“Getting that feel for pushing hard again is probably the most important thing I could have before heading to Worlds in three weeks,” he said.

The 2024 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup 3 will get underway on Thursday 13 June through until Sunday 16 June.

AUSTRALIAN TEAM

Jessica Fox (Women’s Kayak, Canoe, Kayak Cross)

Noemie Fox (Women’s Kayak, Canoe, Kayak Cross)

Georgia O’Callaghan (Women’s Kayak, Canoe, Kayak Cross)

Georgina Collin (Women’s Kayak Cross)

Tim Anderson (Men’s Kayak, Kayak Cross)

Dominic Curtin (Men’s Kayak, Kayak Cross)

Mark Crosbee (Men’s Kayak)

Brodie Crawford (Men’s Canoe)

George Pankhurst (Men’s Canoe)