Friday, 04 June 2010 08:10
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Sprint canoeists from 40 countries descend on Duisburg
We are coming to the end of the 2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup already. For this, the final
round, the troops make their way to Duisburg, Germany.
Starting Friday 4
th June, both World and Olympic champions will meet at the Sportpark, Duisburg. Kayak and Canoe athletes from 40
nations will use these three days as the final international warm-up for the 2010 ICF Canoe Sprint
World Championships in Poznan, Poland.
As with all the other World Cups, racing will be held over 200m, 500m and 1000m. This time, the
competition will open with the quick-fire round of the 200m events. Hosted as a post-work Friday
night spectacular, the organisers in Duisburg are expecting big crowds to add to the already electric
atmosphere of the sprints. From 19.00 the banks of the regatta course will turn into a beer garden
for spectators to relax while cheering on the 200m athletes as the finals unfold in front of them.
Joining the party will be a DJ and a barbecue will add a touch of summer to the Canoe Party.
Otto Schulte, President of the Organising Committee, promises the best in both sport and
entertainment; "The 200m Canoe Sprint action works really well in making the audience into a
party, primarily because the boats zip along in front of the crowd who can experience the race first
hand.” It's the first time this kind of party environment has been tried at a World Cup. "We want to
show what a great sport Canoe is,” Schulte concluded.
So far in the World Cup Rankings, in the Men's K1 Individual events, Belarussian Aleh Yurenia is
the young rookie leading the pack, shortly followed by Adam van Koeverden (CAN). Max Hoff
(GER), looking strong and very much on form, took gold in Vichy putting him in third place. Back
in the World Cups this weekend, he could make his way up the rankings. Max is sharing his third
place with compatriot, Ronny Rauhe and Ed McKeever (GBR) both 200m specialists. Let's see
what the weekend will bring for these guys.
In the Men's C1 Individual events, another Belarussian is leading. Dzianis Harazha has a total of 17
points. In joint first is multi-talented Mathieu Goubel (FRA). His adaptability between distances,
proven in Szeged, make him a real contender for this year's Ranking title. Szeged's 200m winner,
Lubomir Hagara is currently in third place. With the German team back, his position is looking
tenuous as Sebastian Brendel sits just two points behind in fourth place.
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