The Australian pair of Daniel Watkins and Timothy Anderson have made a solid start to the ICF Canoe Slalom second World Cup, both needing just one run to qualify for the respective finals of their events this weekend.
Anderson will be joined in Saturday’s K1 semis by triple Olympian Warwick Draper, and 2016 Olympian Lucien Delfour, while Watkins will be the only Australian in the C1 semis after teenager Tristan Carter and Brodie Crawford just missed out.
Draper and Delfour both needed second runs to confirm their place in today’s semis, but Anderson was impressive in qualifying in 27th position.
In the women’s events, Jessica Fox needed only one run in both the K1 and C1 to secure semi-final berths.
Australia will have a full complement in the women’s C1, with Noemie Fox, Ros Lawrence and Kate Eckhardt all qualifying on the first run.
But Jess Fox will be the only Australian in the K1 semi on Sunday, after Lawrence and Eckhardt both ran into trouble in the qualifying runs.
“I’m pretty happy with that, but there is room to improve,” Fox said.
“I had a couple of time losses on that course, but I’m looking forward to seeing the semis course tomorrow.
“The heats you are always a bit cautious, you want to put in a solid run to get through to the semi, and that was sort of the goal today.
Tomorrow will add a bit more intensity and I’ll try and really nail the lines a bit more, analyse a lot more.”
It was a solid return to form for Fox, who found herself in the unfamiliar position of receiving 50-second penalties in both the C1 and K1 in Prague.
“It’s just about getting back out there and enjoying every session. I had some great sessions and have been feeling good,” Fox said.
“You move on, you don’t dwell on it too much, we all make mistakes. I think i just had an off weekend, but I’m back, and I’m excited and looking forward to racing.
“It’s going to be tough again because the Germans are so good. The goal is to beat the Germans on their own course.”
ICF Canoe Slalom second World Cup continues this afternoon.
