The 2019 ICF Wildwater Junior and U23 Wildwater World Championships will commence in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzogovina today with Paddle Australia’s 14-strong wildwater team ready to take on paddlers from around the globe.
The best young wildwater canoe paddlers from 18 countries will compete over four days in canoe and kayak events, including C1, C2, K1 and team events, on the Vrbas River in Bosnia and Herzogovina. There will be sprint and classic races with racing scheduled to start today (European time).
It is the second U23 World Championship in a row for Western Australian Genie Collin who joined the wildwater team after contesting last week’s 2019 ICF Canoe Slalom U23 World Championships in Krakow, Poland.
After finishing 24thin the women’s U23 K1 slalom event in Krakow, the 22-year old is excited to contest her last U23 world championships on the wildwater course.
“I’m excited to be back in my wildwater boat after a long time focusing on slalom. I’m getting my feeling back quite fast which has been nice. I have been to this course twice before so I’m comfortable here and I have a lot time to adjust,” Collin said.
“Coming straight from Krakow I’m maybe not as fresh as everyone else, but I’m feeling confident in my ability to peak for racing after just doing it in slalom.
“This is my last U23 wildwater world championships so I’m hoping to have my best results yet. I feel good in sprints after so much speed training in my slalom,” Collin added about the benefits of doing both whitewater disciplines.
Eight U23 paddlers and six Junior paddlers are representing Australia in Bosnia and Herzogovina this weekend with the team featuring a strong mix of experience as well as new talent.
“There are so many new faces on the team this year, but also a few old faces. Keep an eye out for Immy Douglass (VIC), who’s in her last year of juniors and Kaylen Basset, who will also be on the senior team for the K1.”
The majority of the team members have been in Europe for a while and also competed at the Wildwater Canoeing World Cup 1 and 2 in Treignac, France in May with some promising results in the sprint races.
Genie Collin, as well as Victorians Kaylen Bassett, Madison Wilson, Imogen Douglass and Ben Strmecki will also be utilising the Junior and U23 World Championships in preparation for the 2019 ICF Wildwater World Championships in La Seu d’Urgell in Spain coming up at the end of September.
Sprint races start today, Thursday, 25 July from 10:00 a.m. European time (6 p.m. AEST) with heats in all events, followed by finals in the individual events as well as team events on Friday, 26 July.
The classic races are scheduled for Saturday, 27 July with the classic team events concluding the event on Sunday, 28 July.
See event website here: https://www.canoeicf.com/wildwater-canoeing-world-championships/banja-luka-2019/schedule
Follow live results here: https://www.canoeicf.com/wildwater-canoeing-world-championships/banja-luka-2019/live-results
Start list for Thursday, 25 July: https://www.canoeicf.com/sites/default/files/23-07-bl-startlistsprint-1stheat.pdf
Start list for team events Friday, 26 July: https://www.canoeicf.com/sites/default/files/23-07-bl-startlistsprint-tea.pdf
For daily updates see www.facebook.com/paddle.org.au with a final report following at the conclusion of the event.
2019 Paddle Australia Junior + U23 Wildwater Team
| U23 | |||
| Kaylen | Bassett | Victoria | U23 K1 + C2 |
| Max | McDonald | Victoria | U23 K1 |
| Kieran | Simpson | Western Australia | U23 K1 |
| Robert | Janiszewski | Victoria | U23 C1 |
| Lachlan | Bassett | Victoria | U23 C2 |
| Georgina | Collin | Western Australia | U23 K1 |
| Demi | O’Brien | Western Australia | U23 K1 |
| Madison | Wilson | Victoria | U23 C1 |
| JUNIORS | |||
| Imogen | Douglass | Victoria | Junior K1 |
| Ashlee | Ilott | Victoria | Junior K1 |
| Ryan | Hughes | Victoria | Junior K1 |
| James | Humphry | Victoria | Junior K1 |
| Joshua | Lee | New South Wales | Junior K1 |
| Ben | Strmecki | Victoria | Junior K1 |
