Paddle Australia’s Wildwater Canoeing Team wrapped up the 2019 ICF Wildwater Canoeing World Cup 1 and 2 in Treignac, France on Sunday with five boats making it through to the men’s C2, men’s C1 and women’s C1 and K1 finals in Sunday’s sprint race.
In the men’s K1, no AUS boat made it through to the top 15 final but Alex McIntyre (NSW) was the fastest Aussie in the heats just missing out in 11th place in the second run and finishing 16th overall.
The event marked the official start to the international Wildwater Canoeing Season for Australia’s Wildwater paddlers as the team prepares for the U23 & Junior Wildwater Championships in Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of July as well as the 2019 ICF Wildwater Canoeing World Championships in La Seu D’Urgell in Spain at the end of September.
Racing for the World Cup took place on the Vézère river with a challenging and rocky course that will also host the 2022 ICF Wildwater Canoeing World Championships. It was the 60-year anniversary for the venue that hosted the first ICF Wildwater Canoeing World Championships in 1959.
“The course was really challenging and technical so it was a really great paddle in the lead in to U23 worlds in July. I was happy with my second qualification run and qualifying into the final in eighth. But unfortunately, I had a few mistakes in my final and ended up in 13th,” K1 paddler Georgina Collin (WA) said.
Team mate Kaylen Bassett agreed, after also making the final in the C2 together with brother Lachlan Bassett (VIC).
“It was a very technical but fun river here in Treignac. Treignac is also going to host the world cup and world champs in a few years’ time, so it’s good that some of those younger paddlers who may be in a future team have experience here.”
“In the C2 we definitely didn’t race well in the classic but with it being the most technical river we have paddled on, I think almost everyone took something away to work on, I know I did.” Kaylen Bassett reflected on the event.
“For the upcoming events we need to focus on exceeding our line and that showed in the sprint as well. I think our final sprint result was solid, especially with this being our first World Cup and after only paddling this boat since Thursday. So, we look forward to putting it together for U23s in a bit over a month’s time.”
The team will prepare next for the upcoming ICF Junior & U23 Wildwater Championships (23-28 July 2019) as well as the ICF Wildwater Canoeing World Championships (24th – 29th September 2019).
Sprint Race Results – Finals:
MC2 Lachlan & Kaylen Bassett: 6th
MC2 Ben Strmecki & Lewis Wylie: 9th
MC1 Robert Janiszewski: 13th
WC1 Madison Wilson: 5th
WK1 Georgian Collin: 13th
See results on facebook @paddle.org.au
Paddle Australia At the Wildwater Canoeing World Cup 1 & 2
| K1 Men Classic + Sprint | K1 Women Classic + Sprint |
| Alex McIntyre (NSW) | Georgina Collin (WA) |
| Kaylen Bassett (VIC) | Demi O’Brien (WA) |
| Richard McMinn (TAS) | |
| C2 Men Classic + Sprint | C1 Women Classic + Sprint |
| Kaylen Bassett / Lachlan Bassett (VIC) | Madison Wilson (VIC) |
| Ben Strmecki / Lewis Wylie (VIC) | |
| C1 Men | |
| Robert Janiszewski (VIC) |
Junior and U23 Team; to compete at 2019 ICF Junior and U23 Wildwater World Championships to be held in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina from the 23rd – 28th July 2019.
| Junior | U23 | ||
| K1 Men | K1 Women | K1 Men | K1 Women |
| James Humphry (VIC) | Imogen Douglass (VIC) | Kaylen Bassett (VIC) | Georgina Collin (WA) |
| Ryan Hughes (VIC) | Ashlee Ilott (VIC) | Max McDonald (VIC) | Demi O’Brien (WA) |
| Ben Strmecki (VIC) | Kieran Simpson (WA) | ||
| Joshua Lee (NSW) | Thomas Elms (VIC) | C1 Women | |
| Madison Wilson (VIC) | |||
| C2 Men | C2 Men | ||
| Caleb Flowers / Thomas Ladson (VIC) | Kaylen Bassett / Lachlan Bassett (VIC) | ||
| C1 Men | C1 Men | ||
| Luke Anderson (VIC) | Robert Janiszewski (VIC) | ||
2019 Senior World Championships Team
| K1 Men | K1 Women |
| Robert McIntyre (NSW) | Georgina Collin (WA) |
| Dan Hall (TAS) | Madeleine Batters (VIC) |
| Alex McIntyre (NSW) | Dita Pahl (VIC) |
| Kaylen Bassett (VIC) | Imogen Douglass (VIC) |
| C2 Men | C1 Women |
| Kaylen Bassett / Lachlan Bassett (VIC) | Madison Wilson (VIC) |
| Ben Strmecki / Lewis Wylie (VIC) |
