The Australian Canoe Sprint team has arrived in Europe ahead of the first ICF World Cup of the year in Szeged, Hungary, as they begin their new Olympic cycle.
For 2008 Olympic gold medallist Ken Wallace it’s the start of a campaign to get to a fourth Olympics, and for 2012 gold medallist Murray Stewart a third, as the team looks to build on it’s impressive Olympic record.
The team also includes two of Wallace’s K4 teammates from Rio, Riley Fitzsimmons and Jordan Wood, who are also the reigning K2 1000 U23 World Champions.
Paralympic gold medallist Curtis McGrath, silver medallist Amanda Reynolds and bronze medallist Susan Seipel will lead a five-strong Para Canoe team.
The women’s team includes 2016 K2 500 finalists, Alyce Burnett and Alyssa Bull, and 2012 Olympian Jo Brigden-Jones.
Among the new faces in the Australian team are sprinters Matt Goble and Robert McIntyre, while Cat McArthur and Jaime Roberts are returning to Europe.
The World Cups campaign begins in Szeged this coming weekend, and then heads to Belgrade the following weekend.
The 2017 Sprint Canoe World Championships will be in Racice, in the Czech Republic, in August.
The U23 and Junior World Championships will be in Pitesti, Romania, in July.
