National Canoe Slalom Champions Crowned at Bradys Lake

Noemie Fox 2022 Canoe Slalom Australian Championships

After a turbulent start of the year due to weather, some of Australia’s top canoe slalom athletes have made their return to racing at the Paddle Australia 2022 Canoe Slalom Championships at Bradys Lake, Tasmania.

With flooding and poor water quality limiting athletes’ ability to train and compete at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium, there was much enthusiasm for the return to racing at Bradys Lake as athletes put it all on the line for a national crown.

Reigning Women’s Champion Jess Fox wasn’t part of the starting line up, but her sister Noemie Fox ensured the national titles stayed within the family, winning the double crown in the WK1 and WC1, with the younger Fox thrilled to be back racing.

“It’s been really great being in Tassie, paddling on the Bradys [Lake] course, it’s just so fun and it’s been a good experience for us as well.

“With no whitewater [in Sydney] it is definitely impacting our season and our ability to train and prepare.

“Being able to come here has just been the best thing for us, to be able to paddle whitewater again has been amazing, despite the cold. A few runs in below five degrees, but it’s good resilience training and character building,” laughed Fox.

Noemie Fox C1 Canoe Slalom Australian Championships

Dual Olympian, Lucien Delfour, echoed Fox about the opportunity to be back racing in whitewater.

Delfour was successfully able to defend his MK1 Australia title which he last won in 2020, after the event was canceled in 2021 due to COVID.

“Really happy to be back racing whitewater, because we have been away from whitewater for quite a few weeks.

“This is such fast water… racing here always feels quite different.  Bradys is a combination of natural and artificial, the water is so fast all the way down, so you’ve got to adapt your technique. There are no other courses like Bradys really, it’s so unique,” he said.

Canoe Slalom Finals MK1 Lucien Delfour

Tasmanian local and Tokyo Olympian, Daniel Watkins, was also able to defend his MC1 Australia title. Watkins added today’s gold medal to the bronze medal he claimed yesterday in the MK1.

“It was great conditions today, water has been great and the changes to the course, it was a well set course today. It was a lot of fun out there.

“I haven’t been on a boat too much [since Tokyo], I’ve been mountain biking and trail running and all sorts of other stuff… but jumped into a boat at Bradys [Lake] and it feels like home.

“It felt good to be back on the water this week, it’s good to be back on the start line,” he said.

Canoe Slalom Championships Dan Watkins MK1

Australia’s top canoe slalom paddlers will now turn their attention to the international season for the ICF World Cups and World Championships that will be held later this year.

RESULTS 

Women’s Kayak

  1. Noemie Fox

  2. Sophie Wilson

  3. Georgia Rankin

Men’s Kayak

  1. Lucien Delfour

  2. Timothy Anderson

  3. Daniel Watkins

Women’s Canoe

  1. Noemie Fox

  2. Demelza Wall

  3. Sophie Wilson

Men’s Canoe

  1. Daniel Watkins

  2. Tristan Carter

  3. Steve Lowther

See all results HERE

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