SA Sprint Kayakers' Blog

World Championships 2010, Poznan.

2010-08-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

We are currently in Poznan, Poland, for the final regatta of the season; World Sprint Championships.
All the boats will be throughly checked for weight, surface texture and dimension this afternoon, after which it is the athletes responsibility to ensure that they race their boat at the correct weight. Failure to do so results in disqualification from the regatta.

The uncontrollables
Our team leader, Greg van Heereden, will receive the lane draws tomorrow afternoon, from which the athletes will know the strength of their respective heats. Is it better to have a strong heat? How will that influence your semi final draw? In a regatta like this, it is not always the fastest 9 boats that go through to the A finals, but rather who is

This course has a history of windy conditions, with races having to be canceled in 2008 due to more than half the field falling out their boats before the finish line, due to the wind and waves. The direction of the wind plays a role in deciding which is the fastest lane, as a side wind could leave some lanes more exposed than others. At the moment, the winds look like they will be shifting throughout, and vary from race to race.

200m Finals wrap up the weekend

2010-05-31T02:20:00.000-07:00

The last afternoon of racing was the 200m finals. Greg and Stu had a 'shoot off' for SA s top K1 200m, as were both in the C final together. The wind had just picked up and Greg pipped Stu to be our first K1 over the line.

In the womens K1 Jen had an intense race and came in 6th, 0.468 behind the winner of the B final.

Bridge had a photo finish for her C final and narrowly came in third.

The K2 mens had another SA shoot off with Shaun and Mike racing Greg and Ryan Louw in the B final. Mike and Shaun finished 0.33 seconds ahead of second place. Their time was faster than the A final s first place, however both races had a head wind so unfortunately the times are not comparable....

Greg and Ryan came in 6th a second behind them.

Well done to all the athletes for an intense 3 days of racing. We had 9 B finals and 3 A finals. This is amazingly promising for the future of SA sprinting.

Please browse the other blogs, linked on the right, for more analytical reviews of the racing.

I hope we have brought home a taste of international sprinting and that you've enjoyed the experience with us.

500m finals

2010-05-31T02:09:00.000-07:00

There were 2 A finals in the 500m for South Africa. Bridge having raced all three disciplines, was up against a difficult field. She had one of her best starts and was still able to hold onto a strong finish coming in 5th, above.

The K2 of Shaun and Mike had a different game plan. Being 200m specialists, they decided on racing a 400m race plan. They dominated the race up until the final 150m and came in 7th, one position better than at Vichy.

Cam and Stu raced the K2 B final and had an awesome 4th. Nick was in the K1 B final and had an incredible race! From the start blocks he was in the lead and powered his way to a win.

The ladies boat of Jen and Tiff had done so well to get a spot in the B final for the K2 women's, and finished 5th.

5000m sprint finish

2010-05-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

28 boats make a sprint for the front bunch at the start of the men's long distance race yesterday afternoon.

Len fights for a spot in the front bunch... and gets squeezed out.

The front bunch of Adam van Koeverden, Ken Wallace, World marathon champ Ben Brown and Len.

In the third lap Len and Adam have made a break away.

It comes down to a sprint finish...

Adam's boat crosses the line centimeters ahead of Len.

Well done Len!

Silver for Bridge

2010-05-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

In the K1 womens 1000m A final Bridge claims second.

At the 250 and 500 she was holding strong with the 4 front boats and in the last 250 pulls out to finish in an impressive second place.

This excitement was joined by a brilliant race by Zoli's men's K4. In their B final where they were first out the blocks and led the race through to the 750 mark. They held it well and crossed the line in third, an impressive threat to other top crews.

200s

2010-05-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

This morning started with a 30 minute delay due to the weather which gave time for the nerves to build... The 200m distance this year has had a massive turn out with five heats (of 9 boats each) for the mens and women’s K1 and mens' K2 events.

Greg and Stu raced hard in the K1 heats making it through to semis and will race together in the C final tomorrow afternoon. This was followed by the K2s. Mike and Shaun were excited for the challenge of racing again at a venue that they won silver at last year, but today they didn’t manage the brilliant start that is typical of their racing. They came 4^th in their semi and will be racing the B final tomorrow along with team mates Greg and Ryan Louw. The brothers won their heat and came 3^rd in their semi final.

Jen narrowly missed the A final for the womens K1 which is basically raw talent as has been sick this week and only 3 months into sprint training after an extended break following Beijing.

Calvin had an impressive PB today in C1 200m and is also newly back into training after Beijing, and is still training under Hungarian Legend Nandor Almasi.

To appreciate how fast these guys are going over 200m, see the detailed results on http://results.mkksz.hu/en/timetable/

Interesting start to Day 2

2010-05-28T23:02:00.000-07:00

Greg's boat waiting for him on the side of the course this morning. With all the thunder and lightening, there might be a delay to the start of the day. No one's on the water yet and there s only an hour until the first race.

5 Hundreds and Thousands

2010-05-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

After the 500m heats our 7 semis were raced within 75 minutes of each other! This is why I think that supporting these races is more tiring than being in the boat...

After the hard day of racing we have the following events to look forward to over tomorrow and Sunday:
Bridgitte: K1 1000m A final, K1 500m A final.

Calvin: C1 1000m B final

Jen and Tiff: K2 500m B final

Nick: K1 1000m B final, K1 500m B final

Len: K1 1000m B final

Shaun and Mike: K2 500m A final

Cam and Stu: K2 500m B final

Chrisjan, PW, Fouche and Gavin: K4 1000m B final

That is an amazing effort!!!!

Special mention must go to Jen and Tiff who have maybe had three training sessions in the K2 together before they lined up in the starting blocks. They only narrowly missed the A final in their K2 500m semi going through comfortably to the B final.

But before we tackle the list above we must do 200m heats and semis which are schelduled for tomorrow morning.

The end of the day tomorrow will be the long distance K1 5000m race. Where Fish legend Len and Cape paddler Gavin are racing in the mens and fellow Cape paller Lindi and Tiff are racing the womens.

Bridge dominating her 1000m heat.

Calvin, 500m heat.

Nick in 1000m heat.

PW doing SA proud!

Tiff and Jen in the white boat and wearing green.

World Cup II, Beginning of Day 1.

2010-05-28T04:22:00.000-07:00

Last night it stormed, I could hear things being blown over in the street below....

When the ladies from the K4 took the bus at 6 am this morning, it was pouring. Some how the weather cleared and it's turned out to be a brilliantly warm ‘still ish’ day. The course here often has a side wind making the far lanes a little choppier and keeping lane 9 quieter.... Lucky lane 9. I am sure this will come into play at somestage over the weekend but haven't seen it yet.

Bridge pulled her ‘usual stunt’ this morning and won her heat taking her straight through to the finals for K1 1000m. She makes it look so easy, and had a brilliant, well paced race. Both Len and Nick also paddled well in their heats to come 5th and 4th respectively in their semi finals, putting them both in the K1 1000m B final tomorrow. Looking at their times, Nick would have been placed in the A final had he been in a different semi. His semi was particularly loaded with the likes of British Olympic 1000m champion, Tim Bradants, Olympic 500m Champion Ken Wallace from Aus and double silver world champs medallist last year, Anders Gustafsson... to name a few.

The mens K4 has had a potent transformation since Vichy, and are much more competitive and are through to the B final tomorrow. While the girls K4 felt great on the water and learnt a lot from the race where they placed 9^th and are motivated for more.

Watch this space for this afternoons activities and down loaded pics.

The night before...

2010-05-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

It s difficult to describe what it was like down at the course today. I think it s one of the best times of a regatta. The hard work has been done, so although everyone is focused, they are also happy to see each other again and socialize a bit. The excitement is contagious and the unknown of what might lie ahead, humbling.

We had good weather today with temps around 30 deg and a slight head wind. The word going around is that there's a cold front on it s way...

Race line up for tomorrow is 1000m heats and semifinals before lunch with 500m heats and semis in the afternoon.

1000m boats:
Calvin C1
Nick Stubbs K1
Len Jenkins K1
Cam Schoeman + Stu Waterworth in K2
Chrisjan Coetzee + Peiter Willem Basson + Fouche van Tonder + Gavin White K4

500m boats:
Bridgitte Hartely K1
Jeniffer Hodson + Tiffany Kruger K2
Esti van Tonder + Rochelle van Coller K2
Tiffany Kruger + Esti van Tonder + Rochelle van Coller + Lindi Harmsen K4
Calvin Mokoto C1
Nick Stubbs K1
Len Jenkins K1
Shaun Rubenstein + Mike Arthur K2
Cam Schoeman + Stu Waterworth K2

Szeged is one of THE BEST sprint courses in the world - what a privilege to be here.
I promise to take lots of photos tomorrow to share the scenes with you.

'Till tomorrow!

Julia

Ladies K4

2010-05-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

Our ladies K4 will race the first race tomorrow morning at 8 in the 500m heats.
In front is Tifffany Kruger, with Esti van Tonder, Rochelle van Coller and Lindi Harsmen powering behind her. Good luck Girls!

Flying high!!!

2010-05-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

A banner strung between two buildings in the centre of town advertising this weekends racing.

View the racing schedule and results on
http://www.kajakkenusport.hu/worldcup2010/en/content/47

Szeged racing overview

2010-05-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

The second ICF CanoeKayak world cup to be hosted in Szeged, starts on Friday morning and will last until Sunday afternoon. The venue has a 2,400-metre long, 122-metre wide course, and is a popular racing venue as there always promises to be many festive supporters.

Thanks to the big changes in sprint kayaking in South Africa, with the award of the Lotto support, we have a big team with boats entered for most events. Including a men's and a women's K4, six men's K2, two women's K2, eight men's K1, seven women's K1 and three men's C1 event s entered. Wow, what a mouthful!

Friday will see the heats and semis for the 500m and 1000m events, followed by the 200m heats and semis, and 1000m finals on Saturday. The final day will have the 500m and 200m finals and finnish off with the 5000m straight finals.

We are still in suspense as to which countries will be racing. At the moment it looks as though the competition could be as tough as what we were up against in Vichy at the first world cup.

The course at night, taken by Mike.

The art and science of sprinting culminates this week.

2010-05-24T03:05:00.000-07:00

The last 2 weeks have been a crucial part of the season. A balance between training as hard as possible, pushing and stressing the body beyond what you think is possible. Team boats have been drilled, the gym has been 'maxed' and now we are tappering. We need enough time to recover so as to race at our best with out losing the edge. Complete trust is place in the coaches to attain this fine balance. One session can make all the difference between which side of this line you are on.

Here are two pics from this final phase of training. And there will be lots more to follow.

Recovery....

2010-05-20T00:45:00.000-07:00

Cam, Stu, Greg and Adro took a trip to the warm baths in town for an afternoon off....

MOCKE

2010-05-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a few of us in our generously sponsored Mocke kit from The Paddling Centre in Fish Hoek, Cape Town.

A huge congrats to both Nikki and Dawid Mocke for winning the World Cup surfski race this weekend in Durban, and a big up for the kit! We love it!

Introducing the Mens K4!

2010-05-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Stroke: Chrisjan Coetzee

2nd: Pieter Willem Basson

3rd: Fouche van Thonder

Anchor: Gavin White

The combination has been together since March and train under Hungarian Zoltan Bako in Paarl.
Chrisjan is the youngest in the boat at the age of 19. He lives in Paarl and has been training with Zoli since his arrival in South Africa in January 2009. PW has the experience in the boat and has a wife and daughter of 1 year, at home waiting for him on his return. Fouche is based in Pretoria and travels up to the Cape to train with his team mates. Gavin was a former marathon and surfski paddler who has reciently seen the light and moved across to sprints. Check out their blog at http://southafrican-K4.blogspot.com

More PHOTOS!!

2010-05-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

View our web albums by clicking on a slide show on the right. You can see the first world cup in Vichy, France as well as other captured moments from the trip in Euro Tour. If you want to brows a little longer once in Picasa Web albums click on My Photos and you will find web albums of last seasons photos from Poland, Hungary and Canada as well as a few pics from SA. Leave us a comment and Enjoy!

Road Trip to get the Girls!

2010-05-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Alex, as our trusted van driver, drove 168km to the airport in Budapest to collect the girls who are racing K4 in 2 weeks.

Alex being a gentleman.
3 out of 4... Rochelle is hiding

After 3 1/2 hours... 4 out of 4! But where the bags Tiff?

Race Reports from the Athletes

2010-05-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

Bridge aka GG, won a silver from her formidable performance in the 1000m. Her strength over the longer distance is incredible. She also made A finals for both her other races, with a brilliant 5th in the 500m and a 7th in the 200m. When Hartley's starts balance out her kick at the end, she will be even more of a 500m force. Watch her season!!!

In the build up to the finals, Mike reflected on his races on his blog; " What a great day, our two races went really well, we won our K2 heat in 1:32 holding aoff a really strong German crew and then managed to secure our A-final spot with a 2nd in the semi with a time of 1:29.2 which is our new fastest time. "

Shaun Ruby's comments from his blog "My focus has been on speed for the 200m K2 with Mike and its awesome to finally know that the training that we are doing is working and that we are ALMOST as fast as the fastest boat at the moment. While we ended up coming 4th in our 200m A final, we were only 0,3 sec off the French in 1st, 0,2 sec off the Spanish (Olympic champions) in 2nd and 0,016 behind the Danish in 3rd. Our result has given me a lot of confidence going forward, both in our ability as a combination and that our training so far is on track and we are making real progress."

We are so happy to have Jen Hodson, back from a break after the Olympics, she had a great 200m performance and narrowly missed an A final in the 200m. Nick Stubbs also drew some attention in his first international regatta as a K1 force when he placed 2nd in the 500m B final. The Louw brothers also performing at a top level, finished 4th in the tremendously competitive 200m K2 B final.

International Sprint Racing Season Kicks Off

2010-05-11T04:04:00.000-07:00

This years international racing season started with a trip to Vichy France. There was a big group of us selected to go over, some to gain experience and some to challenge the top kayakers in the world.

We arrived in France a week ago, to freezing conditions, literally. It was an especially competitive field of athletes, as everyone was there to test out the venue, as it has been selected as the World Champs course for 2011. Which also makes it the Olympic Qualification venue.

The regatta went very well with a few lessons along the way.....

The course was set on a river that winds it s way through the quaint French town. On the first day there was quite a strong current running down the course resulting in some impressive times. By Saturday and Sunday the rain water had been controlled up stream and the conditions had evened out.

We had a K4 competing together for the first time internationally under the coaching of Zoltan Bako Jnr., Cam and Stu were our K2 1000m boat, the Louw brothers, Greg and Ryan, were the second K2 200m with Shaun and Mike making up the K2 200 first boat. Two of K4 guys, Chrisjan and Fouche, were the K1 200m boats with Nick Stubbs and Len Jenkins in the 1000m and 500m races. In the women we had Golden Girl, Bridgitte Hartley doing all K1 distances and Jen Hudson competing in the K1 500m and 200m races.

All final results are on the race website www.vichycanoe2011.com but we will follow up with some posts on race reports.

Senior Sprint Squad trial - 28th August 2009

2009-08-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

With this year's sprint racing finnished the scouts are out looking for next year's talent...

When: This friday, the 28th August 2009.

Where: Nagle Dam.

Who: Any paddlers who are or will be classified as seniors for the 2010 season.

Why: To identify a core group of athletes to encorperate in the high performance programme. These athletes will be offered vared amounts of support depending on thier level of performance. Ranging from access to coaching, training camps, sport science testing and monitoring and a residential allowance.

(Any paddlers who achieved an A final at the World Sprint Championships in Canada, are exempt from having to competing at the trial and gain automatic selection to the squad.)

The trial will only be raced in K1 boats and all athletes are required to race 1000m, 500m and 200m distances.

What an amazing oppertunity for all paddlers!!! Canoeing is entering an exciting era, become a part of it!

CSA's High Performance plan is funded by the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF).

Wrapping up 2009!

2009-08-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Greg Louw and Nic Burden competing in SA's 200m relay at the World Champs.

I can t believe we are all home and the craziness is over - for now! Thank you to all our incredible and loyal supporters for the last few months!! It has been quite a ride! All the training camps, and tours to finally end with the epic races that were Champs 09! The squad has gone through so much together, the 2009 season will definitely go down as a great one in the books. 7 Medals from Bridge at the world cups, one from Shaun and Mike and then another one from Bridge when racing the whole world and Champs!! It s been incredible, and just a step in the bigger picture towards London!

With the Lotto coming on board, CSA has been able to offer world class services to it s elite athletes. This science based approach will only grow and develop. Keep watching this talented group as they achieve goals that will take them to the top in 2012.

Bronzed Babe ranked 3rd in the WORLD!!!

2009-08-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

Bridge Hartley wow s us again!!!! After her impressive season of racing sprints for South Africa, she has finnished 3rd in the world! We are all so so proud of her!!!! She was concerned that her 500m result would bring her world ranking down, but the strength of her over all racing has been of such a high standard that she is placed 3rd at the end of World Champs 09.

She has been warmly recieved by her club 'Tuks' in Pretoria tonight, Bridge you deserve to celebrtate for all your hard work! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Final day of racing!

2009-08-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Today was Mike and Ruby's turn to strut their stuff... they had the K2 200m A final to try for a podium finish. Their silver in Szeged was a great confidence booster. Going into the race the pair was relaxed and focused.

They raced well, they were a fraction slower on the start than a few of the other boats, which in this short distance is crucial. Racing amongst 200m specialists, 6th place was a great result and has left them hungry to get stuck into training themselves for greater POWER at this speed.

Bridge had her K1 500m B final to dominate. She was determined to show all, that she should have been in the A final.

Take a look at the photo series below depicting her classic fighting ability of digging deep when it matters most!

She wins by a boat length!

The 200m C1 and K1 relays are new events to World Champs as of this year, and was VERY well supported. All the big cheeses on the water at once! What a show down! There are starting cones at each end of the 200m stretch and the cone drops as your team mate crosses the line next to you. Our team was the feisty four of Mike Arthur, Greg Louw, Nic Burden and Nick Stubbs. It was an awesome race to watch, as gaps opened up and were chased down. We ended 4th in our heat which unfortunately meant that we missed the final in which the Spanish team took gold for.

Their have been hints at further changes at next year's World Champs in Poznan, with the introduction of longer distance races... Sprint canoeing is expanding and specialising, something and we have to mirror in South Africa.

Tomorrow we fly out of Halifax to Toronto, then onto Europe. We will spend Tuesday in Frankfurt and arrive on home soil at 8:45 on Wed morning. We are sad that this trip has come to an end, it has held some epic racing! It is always such a privilege to have the opportunity to race against the best sprinters in the world in an event like we have had here in Dartmouth. Finishing today, also marks the end of another amazing season. This year has definitely been a special one, with a lot of changes within CSA to directly help our squad get to where we are - Thank you LOTTO!!.

We will savour this short break until national trials at the end of the month, from where it all starts again.

Taking on the World… one race at a time!

2009-08-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Finals days at World Champs is undoubtedly the pinnacle of the year for any athlete and apart from the Olympic Games, it represents the biggest stage upon which to measure up against the best of the best… and today Team SA took on the odds and staked its claim!

In an amazingly gutsy performance, Bridgitte raced out of her skin to claim a World Championship bronze medal in the K1 1000m, kicking hard over the last 150 meters to close in and claim a little bit of history and a dream end to her 2009 season. With contagious smiles all round and the South African flag flying next to those of Hungary and Germany over Lake Banook the day took on a truly special meaning!

With Bridge’s medal safely in the bag, it was then the turn of Shaun and Mike to take up the challenge of qualifying for an A final in the K2 200m. Following a chaotic heat in which Mike’s sunglasses slipped and obstructed his view of Ruby’s stroke the pair still managed to fly through to finish second and thereafter third in their semi final to claim a spot in the final… albeit giving their coach a few moments of concern along the way!

For the K4, the day represented their last race as they stroked their way down the 1000m B final, finishing 9^th but nevertheless stoked to have reached this stage of the competition.

The afternoon culminated with Greg having to find his feet back in the K1 200m after the morning’s K4, where he lined up against “und explosiv” (Team SA’s nickname for Ronald Rauhe… the phenomenally powerful German 200m specialist). Greggles put together one race better than the next and eventually finished a tight fifth in the C final where the difference to the winning time was a mere 0.8 seconds!

So what a day! C Finals, B Finals, A Finals and a medal! But without a doubt the day belongs to the bronze babe who made us and South Africa so incredibly proud!

Kind, Generous and enthusiastic!

2009-08-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

Some how, since we arrived in Halifax, we have acquired THE MOST INCREDIBLE fan club EVER!!! For some reason, our fellow countrymen have been such amazing hosts to us. This Good Luck parcel arrived at our tent at the racing venue... What!?! This huge create of the most delicious food was bought for us by a lady that Bridge met through a SA friend of hers Marike, - THANK YOU Moda!! Moda and Marike have recruited amazing, vocal supporters, making the podium moment that much sweeter for Bridge!

Yesterday, Greg passed a comment, that it s not safe to go out in your SA tracksuit. Too many incredibly friendly people want to stop and talk to you. It s madness!

Kind conditions but tough competition!

2009-08-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

Phew what a day!!!

This morning started off with Ruby's K1 1000m semifinal, he needed to put his body on the line to get a good chance at an A or B final. He raced with such determination but he couldn t get his boat to react like it needed to. It s always difficult to look back on a race and to pin point what went wrong, it s hard to not take into account that he was diagnosed with Bilharzia a few weeks ago.
Next up we had Cam and Stu fighting for all they re worth down the 1000m of flat water. They have such great energy in the boat, and are hungry to improve as they get more experience with the big boys. They didn't make it through to a final but are happy that the feeling is there and are going to be working hard to improve next season. They have come to the end of a very long season where they have raced often and hard. Well done Cam and Stu!!!
Our legendary K4 were next to take to the water, they had to keep control in order to maximise their speed potential and under the watchful eye of Marcus they came 7th in 3:09, earning themselves a spot in the B final tomorrow. Awesome stuff guys!
Bridge had her 1000m semi against some stiff competition but she managed to do what she needed to to get into the A final in a time of 4:05.611. It s awesome to see her race!
After lunch the 500m semis got underway with Len in the K1 up first. Unfortunately he had a bad start and wasn t able to put full power into those vital first few strokes which meant he had a lot of time to make up. He wasn t happy with his race but he managed to get good boat speed for the rest of the distance.
Bridge had an incredibly difficult semi draw for her K1 500m. She had some really strong girls with Josefa Idem from Italy racing in the lane next to her, who went out hard from the start to cross the line first. Bridge finished 4th behind Denmark and Great Britain. This is her first World Champs for 500m and although she did amazingly in the Szeged World Cup she is keeping perspective on the big picture. she had a great race but the others were just faster on the day.
Ruby and Mike were the final boat in the blocks for the day for us with K2 500m. Their race didn't go as they'd hoped either, they were up there in the beginning and lost it in the last 150m to come in 5th. They are a new combination and are still training for the speed endurance that the 500m requires. Well who knows now with the introduction of the 200m Olympic distance, but that s another matter...
On that note, great anticipation for the 200m heats and semis tomorrow, Bridge s 1000m A final and the K4's B final.

We need to look into each race and trace what went wrong and how we can prepare better, but this is what sport is all about, the ups and the downs.

Chrismas has come early to Nova Scotia

2009-08-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

The legendary John Oliver arrived in Nova Scotia late on Tuesday night. He is an official ICF line judge for the competition. It has been so great to see his friendly face around, and wish we could see more of him. Can you spot him in the finishing tower?

Dominating the Heats

2009-08-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

The scene has been set for the 2009 World Champs. More than 1000 athletes from 66 countries will battled it out to be on top of the podium over the next few days. No one was letting go of their spot in the semis easily and we are proud to say that every boat that raced today has made it through into the semifinals!

Shaun started off the morning with his K1 1000m, which he did very well to be placed 3 in a time of 3:37.285, just 1 second off the famous local Canadian talent of Adam Van Koeverden.

The young K2 of Stu and Cam battled out the 1000m, with the big boys, after last racing in U23 a month and a half ago, where they got silver and bronze. Their time was 3:31.898 which takes them through to the next round.

Our K4 were fortunate enough to have a direct entry into the semifinals and according to Markus were the "best they have been" during their heat, finishing in 3:16.674 and having a shot at a final.

Bridgitte Hartley, aka: 'Golden Girl', came a comfortable 2nd in her heat in 4:19.372, making her the fourth faster women on the water today.

After lunch the 500m races got under way... with more great racing from South Africa!

Len Jenkins, in the K1 500m, did very well to claim 4th in 1:54.041. Next up was Bridgitte again, feeling good into the head wind with a third in 2:03.604.

Last race for our team was Ruby and Mike in the K2 for 500m. They had a solid heat coming in fourth in 1:38.794.

The competition is incredibly steep! A huge jump from the World Cups in Europe earlier this year, but we are feeling confident for the next stage that tomorrow brings

with the semifinals.

We are still waiting on the official semifinal draws from the organisers but keep checking the http://www.canoe09.ca/ website for up dates on full race results and start lists.

The Opening Ceremony

2009-08-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

The opening of the 2009 ICF World Champion Sprints was done in style! And the crowds were there to see it. The road had been blocked off and was lined with food stalls. The ambiance was incredibly festive . We had a few photo requests from strangers, for some reason the teenage girls kept asking Nick and Nic...

The celebrations kicked off at 8pm with a few necessary speeches, followed by some live performances of music, singing and dancing on a stage near the water.

The brilliant evening finished off with the most incredible fireworks display! Definitely the best that I have ever seen.

If this is a taste of whats to come, Bring It On!

Day One's racing schedule: Heats for 1000m and 500M

2009-08-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

14: 28 K1 1000m men Shaun Rubenstein

15:17 K2 1000m men Stuart Waterworth and Cam Schoeman

15:59 K4 1000m men Nick Stubbs, Greg Louw, Len Jenkins and Nic Burden

16: 41 K1 1000m womean Bridgitte Hartley

19:50 K1 500m men Len Jenkins

20:30 K1 500m women Bridgitte Hartley

20:45 K2 500m men Shaun Rubenstein and Mike Arthur

South Afircan time.

SASCOC's support!

2009-08-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Check out the entry on our competition build up and preparation on the SASCOC website. It is awesome to see who s making some comments :)

http://www.sascoc.co.za/2009/08/shaun-and-co-ready-for-action/

Final race prep: Boat control

2009-08-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Boat control performed by ICF officials was stricked and thorough.

Getting the K4 ready to be weighed.

We have now moved across to the racing area and things are certainly feeling real! On the banks of Lake Banook, set between a forest, tents have been pitched for each country . We are lucky enough to have a front row tent with a great view of the course (and close to the water and toilets too.) The atmosphere is so different to Europe, all the natural beauty seems to add to the appreciation of where we are and what we are doing -being able to speak the language helps a lot too.

The athletes only have one session left before lining up on the start line for Thurday's heats. Team leaders meeting tomorrow morning will confirm all arrangements and we will post the times when our paddlers will be racing. Then you will be able to follow them live on cbcsports.ca

CBC did interviews today with Nick Stubbs and Julia. We haven't heard if they made it onto the news...

Seeing some of Nova Scotia

2009-08-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

We spent our day off on Sunday going around Nova Scotia. We were amazed at the scenes we saw. Our first stop after driving past pine tree lined lakes which seemed to be scattered about every 500m, we came to Peggy's Cove. Which is home to Nava Scotia's most famous light house. After having some fun there, we were on the road again and headed for lunch at another sea side village with boats anchored in it s bay and islands littering the horizon. Getting in the car again, and our last stop was in persuit of a beaver sighting. We took a walk into a forested area and found a beaver's dam but unfortunately no beaver. What a perfect rest day!

Who's racing who?

2009-08-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

Great excitment in the camp this morning with the preliminary lane draws going around... ie who s racing who to get into the semis and then from there into the finals. This is important for the guys and Bridge to plan their racing smartly, to ensure they are racing at thier best when it matters most.

Check out this link to see who our SA stars are up against:
http://www.canoe09.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/preliminary-draw.pdf

Home away from Home.

2009-08-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Last night we were invited to a Braai by some South Africans living in the area. Their hospitality was amazing, we even had home-made boerewors!!! The light rain and thunder in the distance, was the perfect reminder of where we were.

We have also been invited to wathch the trinations at another South African's house and Paul and Johan are taking us to see some of the country side on our day off tomorrow. Which will be well deserved after a hard week's training. THANK YOU Paul and Johan!!! Check out the South Africans in Halifax website at http://sahalifax.homestead.com/

PHEW!!! Recieved at last!

2009-08-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

5 Days later, minus 6 paddles and one baggage tag...

When we landed in Halifax on Saturfay night, a bundle of paddles didn't arrive with us... You can imagine how this would affect an athlete right before World Champs. The guys coped really really well under the circumstances.

After a few false leads that the paddles had been found, we eventually got them back this evening! WOW!!! What a happy team!

Thank you to Paul, our Canadian/SA host for getting them to us!!!

Tomorrow morning it's race practice for some and time trials for others, Good Luck!

Another day in Canada

2009-08-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

The view from our rooms at Dalhousie University, Halifax... an amazingly beautiful city
Some daily scenes of the guys training ...
...getting man-handled by Croatian chiropractors!
... and coaching athletes via "walkie talkie" radio!

Bridge is BACK!

2009-08-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

It has been so great to have Bridge and her bubbly personality back in the Team. We've missed her! She is looking so great on the water! Whatever training Nandor, her Hungarian coach, is doing with her in Budapest seems to be working.

Seeing a bit of Halifax

2009-08-03T02:33:00.000-07:00

Markus and Paul (the South Afican that is looking after us) are soaking up the scenes along the board walk at the waterfont. This place is beautiful and the vibe is something brilliant!!

JHB - Frankfurt - Toronto - Halifax

2009-08-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

A long trip. Left accommodation in Joburg at 3pm on Friday and arrived at accommodation here in Halifax at 9pm on Saturday, never mind the 6 hour time difference! Air Canada definitely gets or vote!! And Sarah, isle seats were brilliant, emergency exit seats were even better!!!!!! Thank you!! It was a pretty "uneventful" trip, the only drama is that 4 of us are still waiting for out paddles.... they have been lost somewhere between Toronto and Halifax. Bleak!

On arrival into Halifax we were met by the two very friendly expats. Johan and Paul have both been living in Canada for about as long as most of the team has been alive, and are undoubtedly the most hospitable people ever. They have both been such a great help with getting us settled and are 2 of the most enthusiastic and happy pair you could wish to meet in a foreign county. Other than driving us around to show us some sights and helping getting things sorted, they have asked if they chould organise a braai with all the South Africans in the area for us. Sounds like it could be fun.

Media Day at Emmarentia

2009-08-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

On Friday morning we had CSA's first media day, to create awareness in the press of the World Champs!

It was a beautiful clear winter's morning, which meant it was a bit chilly too... but the team was determined that SA gets a taste of what sprinting's all about. We had both K2 crews and the K4 on the water. The cameras loved it, one photographer got really involved and jumped in the back of the K4 to get some real action shots. Fortunately there was no swimming. After strutting their stuff we then we moved inside the club house for some QandAs. The media had the opportunity to ask board members, athletes and team management questions ranging from the nature of paddling in general, to the specifics of international sprint racing. It was great to have this opportunity for everyone to really express what happens in their various felids. All in all, it was a great day! Thank you to Marc Cloete from SA Paddler for organising!

Day 1, Arriving in Joburg.

2009-07-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

We all flew into Joburg this afternoon. It s really wierd how things work, to be honest, one week ago when we were leaving training camp I was happy to be saying goodbye to everyone, happy to go back to 'life' for a few days. But meeting at the airport was so exciting! We are becoming a real happy family. After spending 5 weeks together in Europe, a few weeks at home, then training camp for another 3 weeks again, it s no wonder we are becoming so 'toit'. Canada is upon us, WORLD CHAMPS is upon us. There s that nervous undercurrent that is so great about sport at this level. Everyone is happy and excited but also everyone knows what each other is going through on a deeper level....the starting blocks are looming.

Greg is a little worse for wear, as his bag was left in PE.... but hopefully he ll get it tomorrow..

It s a pitty that Bridge is not with us yet. She is meeting us in Canada as she flies there directly from Hungary. We are all looking forward to having her bubbly spirit around. She has an amazing ability to be incredibly focused and happy-go-lucky at the same time.

Markus has been working really hard on some very important documents that he s getting pressured to finnish, but his cool, calm and collected attitude hides his work load well. Go Markus Go!!!

Things have really stepped up as everyone was issued amazing full new SA kit form CSA with LOTTO branding :) THANK YOU!! We are going to look awesome! We have also arranged some more 'informal' kit amongst ourselves.

We are staying at an AMAZING "B&B", or more like 5 star Guest House called The Homestead(www.homesteadonhomestead.co.za). Thank you to 'Aunty Ingie' for graciously opening her house to us for no cost to CSA. It s amazing, creating a world class vibe so early on the tour.

Tomorrow we have a Media day where we will paddle at Emmarentia, answer a few questions and interact with the media. WE NEED THE EXPOSURE!!! So we are all quite excited :):)

Thank you for your contributions!!!

2009-07-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

Training camp finished only a few days ago and already it feels like an age. Focus has now turned onto Canada. But before we move on completely, we would just like to say thank you to everyone who made such a great three weeks possible!

Capitol Caterers were a huge hit, the incredible mountains of delicious food at every meal made training that much sweeter, thank you!!
Msinsi Reserve, the accommodation was wonderful!! A few more bedrooms would have gone down well though... next year?
Greyling and Ryan thank you for taking the time to come all the way into deep dark Natal. To have your expertise so close at hand is invaluable, making practical integration and implementation of your suggestions and improvements so much more effective. Thank you!
Prof. McKune, having your students performing research that will directly affect the squad is where we are moving towards, thank you for sharing this vision!
Neil, we hope that in the years to come you will be greater affiliated with the elite squad, your professional skills are a needed!!!Rob
Clayton, from BSN Medical, thank you for the strapping that has kept everyone held together during the grueling times, we really appreciate your continued support.
Rob, from Physioquip, thank you for the extra oils and creams, they kept things smooth on the physio bed.

And last but not least thank you CSA for hosting the camp with the support of LOTTO.

Low temps and high spirits!

2009-07-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

Never a dull day with this team!!
Today started off with some really intense race practice. Some great racing from the K2 combo for Shaun and Mike in both the 200m and 500m. As well as Greg Louw 'booking out' amazingly well in the K1 500m.
We had a few visitors today; Neil Cunningham came down to see what we re getting up to. His Chiropractor knowledge as well as history as a sprinter makes him a valuble contributor to the team. Nick Stubbs also organised us 2 Dutch physio students who have been helping keep everyone in top form.
The afternoon brought wind and rain and Markus had to stand his ground to get everyone to the dam, when tea and the time trials were calling.
This evening the lights went out, on arrival of 'Drug free sport', classic! But they re working with a few lanterns we ve found tucked away.

All in all, another great day leading us closer to worlds. Bring it on!

(When I sort out a camera, there will be more photos I promise!)

22 days to Champs!

2009-07-19T02:18:00.000-07:00

What a great start to the week!!! Everyone seems to be feeling fresh after a little rest. We had two solid sessions on the water as well as gym.

Highs today:
Ryan Louw showing off some of his pilates moves which have "changed his life forever".

Lows today:
Morning training srating at different times... communication breakdown.

It s a bit quieter around the house with out the juniors, which is ironically leading to more cabin fever, and it's only Monday!

The Hardest Core!

2009-07-19T02:14:00.000-07:00

Training isn't all serious at Nagel.

Stu Mclauren - a JUNIOR - won the competeion for the hardest core! He is now the owner of a vest signed by the senoir squad. Well done Stu!

'Science in Sport' on Camp

2009-07-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

This training camp is offering value added services, for both the senior and junior squads. Greyling Viljoen from the HPC in Pretoria, who has been involved with the sprint team for years, has just spent 2 days working with the soon-to-be-brilliant minds of all the athletes. Trying to squeeze as much 'improved performance' out of the guys and girls as possible. He has been such a breath of fresh air, with his experience and professionalism, lifting the over all experience to a higher level for all. Thank you Greyling for making the trip out here, we will perform better for it.
Tomorrow brings the arrival of Ryan Hodierne, a biomechanical and video analysis specialist. We look forward to what he can offer to help optimise the combinations in our team boats.
Prof. Andrew McKune from UKZN is also going to be with us for the rest of the week. He is going to be trying out the use of real time monitoring of each athlete during each training session. We hope that this could really improve the monitoring of the athletes on an individual session basis. Prof. McKune is also bringing 3 students who are going to be available to massage the athletes. Julia will be very happy for their help!

What a great next few days! Definitely taking steps in the right direction :)

Pre World Champs Training Camp at Nagel Dam

2009-07-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

One week down! Well done TEAM! It was an intense week of train, eat, sleep, repeat... a few times a day!

A typical day in life of a senior squad member:

8am Down to the Dam to get ready and warm up.
8:30 sharp! Training starts.
+/- 10am Finish the first session of the day. Followed by hill sprints / a run / gym.
12am Lunch, Amazing food prepared by Merrill King’s catering company, Capitol caterers.
3:00 Back on the water for round two of the day.
7:00 Dinner, always lots of delicious food! Last night, everyone literally got half a chicken!

I mentioned “senior” above, as the juniors, Adro and Zoltan Bako are down here with us too. They are also preparing for their world champs. It s been a big group of us and so far so good. We hope that the juniors can learn from the big cheeses, and that the big cheeses can help advise and motivate the lighties.

We are looking forward to another action packed week next week, with visitors from the High Performance centre in Pretoira as well as UKZN. They will be aiding the team with sports related psychology, biomechanical analysis and scientific monitoring.

World Championships Squad 2009

2009-07-11T04:54:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to:

Bridgitte Hartley - Golden Girl

Shaun Rubenstein - Ruby

Michael Arthur – Anchorman

Cam Schoeman - Cam

Nick Stubbs - Stubble

Greg Louw - Greggles

Nick Burden - Muttly

Stu Waterworth - Junior

Len Jenkins - Dobrey

Team leader / coach: Marcus Melck - Milk

Manageress / Physio: Julia Thomas - Jigga

The team will leave on the 31 July for Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. www.canoe09.ca

It s going to be AMAZING!