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Jessica Fox
Canoe Slalom
World Champion K1
& C1 ladies
Tom Collings, Monday, 22 September 2014
Jessica Fox has created history winning
gold in the K1W and C1W events at the ICF Canoe Slalom World
Championships in Deep Creek, USA overnight.
The 20 year old started the day in blistering
form recording the fastest semifinal run before holding nerves
of steel to write herself into the record books with an emphatic
victory in the K1W final.
The victory came 24 hours after successfully
defending her C1W world title.
“It is very special. To win the
double in both events, to have such a great World Championships
it could not have been any better this weekend,” Fox
said.
British paddler Fiona Pennie produced
the time to beat early in the final. Just 0.01 seconds separated
the pair at the first split before Fox executed the perfect
run through the middle and lower sections of the course to
win in 114.01.
Fox finished 0.96 seconds ahead of Pennie,
with German Melanie Pfeifer taking home the bronze in 120.01.
Asked how it compares to winning Olympic
silver Fox responded, “I guess the Olympic silver was
a dream come true a bit and I didn’t expect it in a way
but this is something that I have really been working for
the past couple of seasons, and to have it come together and
put together such a good run in a pretty big final is really
special.”
The historic double comes 25 years since
her mother Myriam and father Richard won K1 gold in the USA.
“To do it 25 years after my parents
both won at the World Championships in the USA on Savage River
is really special and I think we will all be cherishing this
moment,” Fox said.
Earlier in the day Australian pair Sarah
Grant and Rosalyn Lawrence finished 17th and 21st respectively
in the semifinals.
Australia also featured in the K1W Teams
final finishing 11th.
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Nanga Challenge
Paddle, Cycle
& Run
The 2014 Nanga Challenge
was held in perfect conditions with over 70 bibs of solo "ironpersons",
teams of 3, or as pairs. The water level on the Murray was
perfect at about 1.2m with a good flow, and a fantastic warm
day for the bike and run. The logging around the hill has
destroyed the shade and conditions were extra hot. Grant Pepper
and his Ascot team spent several days marking the bike and
run course during the week.
On the day many Ascot members
turned out to race as and even more came down to volunteer
as course marshals and helpers. The paddling leg was very
competitive with many ocean paddlers entering and others specialising
in the bike and run segments making up very strong teams.
It was great to see several younger competitors doing very
well and competitive in the main field; Adam White, the youngest
at 13 and Dad Kevin competing as a pair, Bronwyn Martin paddling
in the teams, Keiran Simpson in Ironman, and the team of Matthew,
Christopher and Nicholas Greed (14,16,14).
14 year old Matthew Greed
in a team with his brothers start off with the paddle leg
Older brother Christopher
happy to finish the gruelling course and hand over to Nicholas
Matthew's twin brother
Nicholas, takes on the tough run course to come home with
a team time of 3.50.01
Pat Irwin claimed to be
the oldest on the course, although by the end of the day several
competitors appeared to have aged even more than Pat! The
depth of competitor was enormous: From some of the best athletes
in WA through to those in it for fun, all giving it their
best shot.
Cheers, Lawrence
Results here:
http://www.bluechipresults.com.au/results.aspx?CId=11&RId=613
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3,000 boats?
Inlet’s
Guinness World Record Attempt September 13, 2014
Despite the cool, damp weather, over
3,000 boats from 31 states, 2 Canadian Provinces, Thailand
and Belgium converged on Fourth Lake in Inlet, NY on September
13 to shatter the Guinness World Record for the largest raft
of canoes, kayaks and guideboats.
The raft, held together only by hands,
fulfilled a Guinness rule by free-floating for at least 30
seconds. A seaplane carrying photographer Nancie Battaglia
flew overhead capturing what will become Inlet’s third
record-breaking event. A second plane piloted by Jim Payne,
containing videographer Lori Diemer, recorded the moment for
the Guinness Committee. Earlier, videographer Eric Mishalanie
with the assistance of Casey Hamlin recorded the entry process
as each boat picked up a numbered sticker and moved into the
raft-up area.
All of this video and photographic evidence
will be off to London in a few days so that Guinness can verify
the accuracy of the count.
Kudos to Kiwanis Club of the Central
Adirondacks and the One Square Mile of Hope Committee, co-chaired
by Carolyn Belknap and Connie Perry, for a spectacularly organized
event which raised over $100,000.
Inlet has once again lived up to its
title of “The Little Town That Could,” and did.
The primary recipient of funds raised
this year will be The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The
mission of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is to achieve
prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by
providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational
research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing
public awareness about good breast health. Currently, 91 cents
of every dollar spent by BCRF is directed towards breast cancer
research and awareness programs.
In addition, we will be donating a portion
of the proceeds to the Foundation for Upstate Medical University
in Syracuse, NY, directed towards breast cancer research at
the Upstate Cancer Center and children's cancer care at Golisano
Children's Hospital at Upstate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXwCF5BdA7M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL3qtsmPsXU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1uzFsaP_pw
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