Last month I reflected on the great success enjoyed by our sprint paddlers at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships. This month, it was the turn of slalom paddlers to take centre stage, competing at their World Championships.
Our Australian Canoe Slalom team finished second on the medal tally, with two gold medals and one bronze, among seven top-10 places. The performances of our athletes were not only rewarded with podium finishes, but three quota places secured for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
More in this edition but special congratulations to Jess Fox on securing her 10th individual World Championships. I’m out of superlatives for Jess. Also, if you watched Jess Fox, Noemie Fox and Kate Eckhardt celebrate their gold medal in the kayak team event, it was very hard not to get swept up in the emotion of it all!
Click here to read the full update from Paddle Australia CEO Phil Jones
As always, to keep up-to-date, stay tuned to paddle.org.au and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Yours in Paddling,
Paddle Australia
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Three medals, seven top-10 results conclude Slalom World Championships
The 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships came to a close on Sunday, ending six days of exceptional Canoe Slalom action for Australia’s nine-paddler team.
Australia finished the Championships second on the medal table with three medals, seven top-10 performances, and a spot on the start line of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the Women’s Canoe, Women’s Kayak and Men’s Kayak.
The Kayak Cross was the last event on the program on Sunday, with Noemie Fox and Lucien Delfour the two Aussies to progress out of the time trials into the 30-paddler heats. Read more >>>
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Paddle Australia welcomes Kayak Cross Federal Government funding boost for Paris Olympics
Paddle Australia is pleased to be a beneficiary of the Australian Government’s second stream of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Preparation Fund that was announced last week.
The sport system’s total $5 million funding boost is part of the overall $20 million commitment from the Australian Government announced in July, designed to significantly enhance the medal potential and improve the performance of Australian athletes in the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Games. Paddle Australia’s additional funding will directly support Canoe Slalom athletes who are targeting Olympic qualification in the new discipline of Kayak Cross, which will debut at Paris 2024. Read more >>>
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Mark Crosbee awarded SAHOF Tier 1 Scholarship
The Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF) has announced the exceptional athletes awarded a Tier 1 Scholarship within its 2024 Scholarship & Mentoring Program.
Canoe Slalom athlete Mark Crosbee has been named as one of the six Tier 1 Scholarship holders, and will be mentored by triple Olympic gold medallist and five-time rowing world champion Drew Ginn OAM, a member of the legendary “Oarsome Foursome”.
Find out more >>>
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AROUND THE AUSTRALIAN WATERWAYS
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The West Australian: Take your pick from saltwater sprays or river rapids
Kayaking can be an exhilarating form of exercise, as well as a way to enjoy all that our scenic waterways have to offer. Here in Western Australia, kayakers have the option of hitting the ocean or river, both presenting their own distinct beauty and set of challenges.
According to Sea Kayak Club of Western Australia president Mark Stallbaum, one of the big differences is the extra difficulty sea kayaking can add. CLICK HERE to read The West Australian feature.
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Back-to-back Avon Descent wins for Ben Carrick
Perth’s Ben Carrick achieved the fastest solo paddle in the 50th Avon Descent.
Ben completed the gruelling 124-kilometre, 2-day marathon in just over 9 and a half hours paddling in the single kayak class. This is the second win for Ben, who also took out fastest solo honours in 2022.
Noah Boldy and Jesse Phillips, who completed the event in a relay team of two, were officially the first over the line for the 50th event.
Read more >>>
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Share your stories with us!
Whether it's about your club, your events, your discipline or favourite paddle trail...we'd love to hear from you! Send in your photos, videos or stories to be featured in Paddle Pulse.
Please contact us at membership@paddle.org.au
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Aussies tackle Descent of the Pisuerga
Closely following the Sella Descent, a team of eight Aussie paddlers moved south for the 57th Annual Descent of the Pisuerga.
The Pisuerga river is known for fast flowing water, numerous rapids and five weirs that have to be negotiated over a 17km race length. Like the majority of Spanish races, it attracts big crowds and there were mass starts for all K2s closely followed by all the K1 paddlers. Congratulations to the Aussies competing. K2 Open Men: Brendan Rice/Steve Bird (4th), Will Lee/Jeremy Doney, John Young/Dominic Scarfe. K1 Under 23: Charlie Hewitt (3rd). K1 50+: Ben Hewitt (2nd)
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Are you heading to the 2023 ICF SUP World Championships?
Calling all SUP enthusiasts: mark your calendars for November 15-19, 2023, and head to Pattaya, Thailand, for the 2023 ICF SUP World Championships.
Whether you're a junior, senior, or master, this global competition is your chance to shine.
All participants at the World Championships must be members of their National Federation. Register your attendance at the link HERE so we can keep you up to date on valuable competition information and access your team Australia uniform.
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Gordan Harbrecht ready for 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships
As the anticipation builds for the upcoming 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships, one name that stands out in the world of ocean ski paddling is Gordan Harbrecht from Germany. With a decade of experience under his belt, Harbrecht is a seasoned ocean ski paddler who has earned recognition for his exceptional skills and unwavering passion for the sport.
Reflecting on his involvement, Harbrecht emphasised the allure of being out on the open ocean, refining his techniques, and maximising efficiency. Unlike traditional lane racing, ocean paddling provides him with a sense of liberation and an opportunity to engage socially with paddlers of varying skill levels who train and race together, fostering an environment of camaraderie. Read more >>>
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Aussies wrap up 2023 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships
The 2023 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships and Masters Championships in Vejen, Denmark, witnessed a strong Australian presence with 33 athletes competing across the junior, U23, senior and masters age categories.
As the dust settles on the event, our Australian athletes can be proud of their efforts. The event provided a platform for athletes to shine, learn, and compete at the highest level, and the Australian team embraced the challenge with enthusiasm and pride. Read more >>>
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Did you receive our dedicated Ocean Racing newsletter?
As we count down to the 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships in Perth from 30 November - 3 December, we've launched our dedicated Ocean Racing World Championships newsletter.
With issues dropping regularly, we will be bringing you all the latest news, schedule and event information to plan your one-in-a-lifetime adventure in Perth.
Read the second newsletter HERE
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2023/24 Events Calendar
DECEMBER 2023
- Canoe Sprint GP1 | 8 – 10 Dec 2023 | Adelaide, SA
JANUARY 2024
- Canoe Freestyle Championships | 4 Jan 2024 | Eildon, VIC*
- Whitewater (Slalom, Wildwater, Freestyle) Age Championships | 4-7 Jan 2024 | Eildon, VIC*
- Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships | 26-28 Jan 2024 | Penrith, NSW
FEBRUARY 2024
- Canoe Slalom Australian Open | 2-4 Feb 2024 | Penrith, NSW
- Canoe Sprint GP2 / Oceania Championships | 16-18 Feb 2024 | Penrith, NSW
MARCH 2024
- Canoe Sprint Championships | 7-10 Mar 2024 | Penrith, NSW
- Canoe Polo Championships | 29-31 Mar 2024 | Canberra, ACT
APRIL 2024
- Canoe Marathon and SUP Championships | 5-8 Apr 2024 | Adelaide, SA
- Canoe Slalom Championships | 6-7 Apr 2024 | Brady's Lake, TAS*
*Due to the nature of the discipline, should water availability be limited or in excess in this location, the dates and location of this event may change
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Golden Fox wins 10th individual world title and Anderson secures men's K1 Olympic quota
The world’s greatest canoe slalom paddler, Jessica Fox, has won her tenth individual Canoe Slalom World title, winning gold in the Women’s K1 at the Lee Valley Whitewater Centre in London.
Tim Anderson also put the slalom world on notice in the Men’s K1, finishing in 5th place in his first World Championships final, and securing Australia a start in the Men’s K1 at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Read more >>>
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Australia win Women's Kayak Team gold at Canoe Slalom World Championships
Australia opened their 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships campaign on a high, winning gold in the Women’s Kayak Team event at the Lee Valley Whitewater Centre in London.
The team of Jessica Fox, Noemie Fox and Kate Eckhardt secured the gold medal in a blistering time of 108.62, 0.29 seconds ahead of Spain in silver and 0.40 ahead of hosts Great Britain in third.
Read more >>>
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Paracanoe and Sprint team end season on a high with gold and bronze in Paris
Australia’s Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe team wrapped up their 2023 international season on Friday, with another gold and bronze medal at the ICF World Cup in Paris.
Competing in France on the course that will host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Dylan Littlehales added to his recent World Championships gold medal with another gold in the Men’s KL3 200. Olympic Champions Tom Green and Jean van der Westhuyzen rounded out their strong season with K2 500m World Cup bronze.
Read more >>>
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Paddle Pathways | Canoe Slalom C1 specialist Tristan Carter
Melbourne-born athlete Tristan Carter fell into the sport of Canoe Slalom by following in the footsteps of his big sister, Chelsea. A self-proclaimed ‘restless’ kid, Carter was always giving new sports a try, but in his early teen years, something clicked with Slalom, and he never looked back.
“I was 14 or 15 and had a home nationals on Eildon, which is my home river in Victoria, and I did quite well at this event,” Carter reflects.
Read more >>>
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#MYPADDLEOZ - PHOTO OF THE MONTH
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Just another sunrise appreciation post!
Photo thanks to @learntopaddlenow
Simply share your paddling videos, photos and stories across social media, tagging #MyPaddleOZ and @paddle_australia for the chance to be featured.
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What do you think of this newsletter? What would you like to see in future editions?
All comments and feedback are welcome and will help us to make sure that we're providing the updates that you care about most!
We would also love to hear about what paddlers are getting up to! Send in your photos, videos or stories to be featured in Paddle Pulse.
Please contact us at info@paddle.org.au.
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